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Connext Professional EUVDEUVD-2025-209595

| CVE-2025-14543 HIGH
Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference (CWE-611)
2026-04-30 RTI
8.8
CVSS 4.0 · Vendor: RTI
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Attack ChainAIDerived

Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain

  1. Access
    Identify network-accessible DDS endpoint
  2. Delivery
    Send crafted XML with external entity reference
  3. Exploit
    Parser processes XXE payload
  4. Execution
    Exfiltrate data via out-of-band request
  5. Impact
    Cause service degradation through resource exhaustion

Vulnerability Assessment

Weakness
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A02:2025 - Security Misconfiguration
ASVS 5.0
V13 - Configuration XML external entity prevention
MITRE ATT&CK

2 techniques across 2 tactics: Initial Access, Collection

The technique list with ATT&CK links and the kill-chain view is part of the Basic plan and up.

Exploitation Conditions

Requires the target Connext Professional deployment to process XML input from attacker-controllable sources. Specific vulnerable scenarios include: applications that accept XML-formatted QoS profiles via network APIs, systems that dynamically load type definitions from XML files accessible to untrusted users, or DDS domains that parse configuration XML from external sources (file shares, HTTP endpoints, message queues). The CVSS vector (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N) indicates network accessibility without authentication, suggesting the vulnerable XML parsing occurs in network-facing services without access controls. Exploitation is limited by whether the deployment architecture exposes XML processing endpoints to untrusted networks-systems using only hardcoded or administrator-controlled XML configurations in isolated environments are not exploitable remotely. SSVC 'automatable: no' assessment confirms exploitation requires reconnaissance to identify specific XML input vectors and tailored payload crafting for the target application's XML schema, not generic mass-scanning exploitation.

Impact

Real-world risk is moderate-to-high for internet-exposed or untrusted-network deployments, but lower for isolated operational technology (OT) environments. CVSS 8.8 indicates network-exploitable (AV:N), low complexity (AC:L), requiring no privileges (PR:N) or user interaction (UI:N), which suggests straightforward exploitation against vulnerable parsers. However, SSVC framework provides important context: exploitation status is 'none' (no active exploitation confirmed), automatable is 'no' (requires attacker to craft context-specific XML payloads targeting the application's XML processing workflow), and technical impact is 'partial' (data exfiltration and DoS, but no remote code execution). EPSS data not provided, preventing probabilistic exploitation assessment. No CISA KEV listing confirms this is not being actively exploited in the wild. The contradiction between CVSS severity (8.8) and SSVC's 'partial impact' assessment reflects that while the vulnerability is technically severe, real exploitation requires the attacker to identify which XML endpoints process untrusted input and craft appropriate XXE payloads for the DDS middleware context. Risk is highest for Connext deployments that parse XML from external sources (network configuration files, remote QoS profiles, or user-supplied type definitions) and lowest for air-gapped systems processing only administrator-controlled XML. Missing data: no EPSS score available; exploitation complexity in DDS context not detailed in references; specific XML processing features vulnerable not enumerated.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

An attacker identifies a Connext Professional deployment that accepts XML-formatted QoS profiles or type definitions over the network (common in dynamic DDS systems allowing runtime reconfiguration). The attacker crafts a malicious XML document containing an external entity declaration pointing to file:///etc/passwd (for data exfiltration) or a recursive entity definition (for denial of service). When the Connext Core Libraries parse this XML input, the vulnerable parser processes the external entity, either sending sensitive file contents to an attacker-controlled server via out-of-band HTTP requests or consuming excessive memory/CPU through entity expansion, causing the DDS application to crash or become unresponsive. No public proof-of-concept specific to Connext Professional exists at time of analysis, but XXE exploitation techniques are well-documented and readily adaptable to DDS middleware contexts.

This Week Schedule remediation this week. Why: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9).
Patch available 0.0% exploitation probability (EPSS)

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AnalysisAIv1 – Apr 30, 2026

XML External Entity (XXE) injection in RTI Connext Professional's Core Libraries allows remote unauthenticated attackers to exfiltrate sensitive data and cause denial of service through maliciously crafted XML documents processed by the DDS middleware. Affects versions 4.3x through 7.6.x across all major release branches (4.3x-7.4.0), with vendor patch available but no public exploit identified at time of analysis. CVSS 8.8 (High) reflects network attack vector with high confidentiality and availability impact but no integrity compromise, consistent with typical XXE data exfiltration and resource exhaustion scenarios. SSVC assessment indicates non-automatable exploitation with partial technical impact, suggesting targeted attack scenarios rather than mass exploitation.

RemediationAI

Upgrade to patched versions: Connext Professional 7.7.0 or later for 7.4.x branch deployments, or 7.3.1.1 or later for 7.0.x branch deployments. For older branches (6.1.x, 6.0.x, 5.3.x, and 4.3x-5.2.x series), RTI's version notation '6.1.*', '6.0.*', '5.3.*', and '5.2.*' suggests no direct patches are available for these end-of-life branches, requiring migration to supported 7.x versions. Consult RTI vendor advisory at https://www.rti.com/vulnerabilities/#cve-2025-14543 for version-specific upgrade paths and potential backport patches. If immediate upgrade is not feasible, implement compensating controls: (1) disable XML external entity processing in all XML parsers used by Connext applications by setting parser features to disallow DOCTYPE declarations and external entities (may break applications relying on external entity references in legitimate configuration files); (2) restrict XML input sources to trusted administrators only, eliminating any network-accessible XML configuration endpoints (limits operational flexibility for dynamic QoS reconfiguration); (3) deploy network segmentation to isolate DDS domains from untrusted networks (reduces attack surface but does not eliminate insider threat or supply chain risks). Validate parser hardening by testing with known XXE payloads against non-production systems before deploying to operational environments.

Affected VersionsENISA

Connext Professional 6.1.0 <6.1.*
Connext Professional 5.3.0 <5.3.*
Connext Professional 6.0.0 <6.0.*
Connext Professional 7.4.0 <7.7.0
Connext Professional 7.0.0 <7.3.1.1
Connext Professional 4.3x <5.2.*

Affected Packages

euvd connext_professional fix: 7.3.1.1, 7.7.0

Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)

Affects your stack

Affects 1 package in euvd

Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.

Technical ContextAI · show details

RTI Connext Professional is a Data Distribution Service (DDS) middleware implementation used in real-time distributed systems, particularly in industrial control, healthcare devices, autonomous systems, and defense applications. The vulnerability resides in the Core Libraries' XML parsing components. CWE-611 (XML External Entity Reference) occurs when an XML parser is improperly configured to process external entity declarations, allowing attackers to reference external resources via specially crafted DTD declarations. In DDS implementations, XML is commonly used for QoS profiles, type definitions, and configuration files. The CPE (cpe:2.3:a:rti:connext_professional) confirms RTI as the vendor with Connext Professional as the affected product. The vulnerability spans six major version branches (4.3x, 5.3.x, 6.0.x, 6.1.x, 7.0-7.3.x, 7.4-7.6.x), indicating a long-standing architectural issue in XML handling across the product lifecycle. The CVSS 4.0 vector shows no integrity impact (VI:N), suggesting the XXE is primarily exploitable for data exfiltration and availability disruption rather than data manipulation.

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Severity by source

Vendor (RTI) PRIMARY 8.8 HIGH
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N

Primary rating from Vendor (RTI) · only source for this CVE.

CVSS VectorVendor: RTI

Attack Vector
Network
Attack Complexity
Low
Attack Requirements
None
Privileges Required
None
User Interaction
None
Vulnerable system: Confidentiality
High
Vulnerable system: Integrity
None
Vulnerable system: Availability
High
Subsequent system: Confidentiality
None
Subsequent system: Integrity
None
Subsequent system: Availability
None

Lifecycle Timeline

4
Patch released
May 04, 2026 - 13:02 nvd
Patch available
Patch available
Apr 30, 2026 - 17:02 EUVD
CVSS changed
Apr 30, 2026 - 16:22 NVD
8.8 (HIGH)
CVE Published
Apr 30, 2026 - 15:25 nvd
HIGH 8.8

DescriptionCVE.org

Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference vulnerability in Connext Professional (Core Libraries) allows Serialized Data External Linking.This issue affects Connext Professional: from 7.4.0 before 7.7.0, from 7.0.0 before 7.3.1.1, from 6.1.0 before 6.1.*, from 6.0.0 before 6.0.*, from 5.3.0 before 5.3.*, from 4.3x before 5.2.*.

Executive ViewAI

Why It Matters

RTI Connext Professional versions 4.3x through 7.6.x contain an unauthenticated XML External Entity (XXE) injection vulnerability in the Core Libraries that enables remote attackers to exfiltrate sensitive data and disrupt DDS middleware operations. Organizations using RTI Connext for real-time data distribution face immediate risk of confidential data exposure and service availability loss without remediation.

Business Impact: High
Compensating Controls

Apply vendor patch. Interim mitigations if patching delayed: disable or restrict XML input processing in RTI Connext configurations; implement network-level filtering to limit DDS middleware exposure to trusted internal networks only; monitor for malicious XML payloads in middleware logs and apply input validation rules where supported by RTI Connext configuration options.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.0%
Top 89% exploitable
Social Media
2
Sightings
Data Quality
6 sources
Confidence: High

How this decision was reached

The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.

SignalValue
Severity HIGH
CISA KEV No
Public POC No
EPSS 0.0%
Patch available Yes
Active threat No
Deciding rule
HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9)
What every action level means
Emergency Immediate action required. Criteria: CRITICAL + in CISA KEV (actively exploited) without patch, OR CRITICAL + EPSS > 30% without patch, OR CRITICAL + active threat signals without patch.
Act Now Prioritize within 24-48h. Criteria: in KEV with patch available, OR CRITICAL + public POC, OR HIGH + EPSS > 10%, OR CRITICAL + active threat, OR any CRITICAL severity.
This Week Schedule remediation this week. Criteria: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9). Patch within normal change window.
This Month Plan within 30 days. Criteria: MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9), lower exploitation probability. Include in regular patch cycle.
Monitor Track and reassess. Criteria: LOW severity (CVSS 0.1-3.9), minimal exploitation risk. No immediate action needed.

SSVC AssessmentENISA

SSVC Decision
Scheduled
Exploitation
None
System Exposure· derived
Open
Automatable
No
Human Impact
High
Technical Impact
Partial

Priority Score

44
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: 0
CVSS: +44
PoC: 0
Weaponized: 0
Threat intel: 0
Gov advisory: 0

Attack Technique

XML External Entity (XXE) attacks exploit XML parsers that process Document Type Definitions (DTDs) without proper restrictions.

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