CVE-2025-54988 is an XML External Entity (XXE) vulnerability classified under CWE-611, found in the Apache Tika PDF parser module versions 1.13 through 3.2.1. Apache Tika is a widely used content analysis toolkit that extracts metadata and text from various document formats, including PDFs. The vulnerability arises from improper restriction of XML external entity references within the XFA (XML Forms Architecture) files embedded inside PDF documents. An attacker can craft a malicious PDF containing a specially designed XFA file that triggers the XXE flaw when parsed by the vulnerable Tika module. This can lead to unauthorized disclosure of sensitive information by reading local files or internal resources, or it can be used to initiate malicious requests to internal networks or external third-party servers, potentially facilitating further attacks such as SSRF (Server-Side Request Forgery). The vulnerability does not require authentication or user interaction, increasing its risk profile. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 8.4, indicating high severity with impacts on confidentiality, integrity, and availability. The vulnerable module is a dependency in several Apache Tika packages, including tika-parsers-standard-modules, tika-parsers-standard-package, tika-app, tika-grpc, and tika-server-standard, broadening the scope of affected systems. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, but the critical nature of the flaw necessitates prompt remediation. The Apache Software Foundation has released version 3.2.2 of Apache Tika, which addresses this vulnerability by properly restricting XML external entity processing in the PDF parser module.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2025-54988 can be significant, especially for those relying on Apache Tika for document processing, content extraction, or indexing services. Sensitive sectors such as finance, healthcare, government, and legal services often process large volumes of PDF documents and may use Apache Tika as part of their data ingestion pipelines. Exploitation of this vulnerability could lead to unauthorized disclosure of confidential information, including internal documents, credentials, or personally identifiable information (PII). Additionally, the ability to trigger requests to internal or external systems could facilitate lateral movement within networks or enable further attacks such as data exfiltration or denial of service. The vulnerability’s ease of exploitation without authentication or user interaction increases the risk of automated or targeted attacks. Disruption of document processing services could also affect business continuity and compliance with data protection regulations such as GDPR. Organizations using Apache Tika in cloud environments or exposed services may face increased exposure to remote exploitation attempts.

To mitigate CVE-2025-54988, European organizations should prioritize upgrading all Apache Tika deployments to version 3.2.2 or later, which contains the fix for the XXE vulnerability. Where immediate upgrade is not feasible, organizations should implement strict input validation and sanitization to block or quarantine PDFs containing XFA forms or suspicious XML content. Disabling or restricting XML external entity processing in the PDF parser configuration, if configurable, can reduce risk. Network segmentation and firewall rules should limit the ability of compromised systems to reach internal resources or external servers to prevent SSRF exploitation. Monitoring and logging of document processing activities can help detect anomalous behavior indicative of exploitation attempts. Security teams should review and update incident response plans to include scenarios involving document parsing vulnerabilities. Additionally, organizations should conduct code audits and dependency checks to identify all applications and services using vulnerable Apache Tika versions. Employee awareness training on handling untrusted documents can further reduce risk.