CVE-2026-44020: CWE-776: Improper Restriction of Recursive Entity References in DTDs ('XML Entity Expansion') in docling-project docling
Docling simplifies document processing by parsing diverse formats and providing integrations with the generative AI ecosystem. From 2.13.0 until 2.74.0, the USPTO patent XML parser used the standard xml.sax.parseString() without protection against XML External Entity (XXE) attacks. An attacker could craft malicious USPTO patent XML files with external entity references that could read arbitrary files from the server filesystem, perform Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF) attacks, or cause denial of service through entity expansion (Billion Laughs attack). The vulnerability affects three USPTO patent format parsers: ICE (v4.x), Grant v2.5, and Application v1.x. This vulnerability is fixed in 2.74.0.
AI Analysis
Technical Summary
Docling versions >=2.13.0 and <2.74.0 include a vulnerability in the USPTO patent XML parsers (ICE v4.x, Grant v2.5, Application v1.x) due to improper restriction of recursive entity references in DTDs (CWE-776). The parsers use xml.sax.parseString() without safeguards against XML External Entity (XXE) attacks, enabling attackers to craft malicious USPTO patent XML files that can trigger denial of service via entity expansion (Billion Laughs attack), read arbitrary server files, or perform server-side request forgery (SSRF). The vulnerability is resolved in docling version 2.74.0.
Potential Impact
The vulnerability allows unauthenticated attackers to cause denial of service by triggering excessive XML entity expansion, potentially exhausting server resources. Additionally, attackers may exploit the lack of XXE protections to read arbitrary files on the server or perform SSRF attacks. Confidentiality and availability of the affected system are at risk. No known exploits in the wild have been reported.
Mitigation Recommendations
Upgrade docling to version 2.74.0 or later, where this vulnerability is fixed. No other official remediation or temporary fixes are indicated. Patch status is not explicitly stated in the vendor advisory, but the fix is included in version 2.74.0.
CVE-2026-44020: CWE-776: Improper Restriction of Recursive Entity References in DTDs ('XML Entity Expansion') in docling-project docling
Description
Docling simplifies document processing by parsing diverse formats and providing integrations with the generative AI ecosystem. From 2.13.0 until 2.74.0, the USPTO patent XML parser used the standard xml.sax.parseString() without protection against XML External Entity (XXE) attacks. An attacker could craft malicious USPTO patent XML files with external entity references that could read arbitrary files from the server filesystem, perform Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF) attacks, or cause denial of service through entity expansion (Billion Laughs attack). The vulnerability affects three USPTO patent format parsers: ICE (v4.x), Grant v2.5, and Application v1.x. This vulnerability is fixed in 2.74.0.
CVSS v3.1
Score 7.5high
Affected software
pkg:github/docling-project/doclingRun on your own infrastructure? Check whether these packages are installed with threat-finder — our free open-source scanner.
Weaknesses
AI-Powered Analysis
Machine-generated threat intelligence
Technical Analysis
Docling versions >=2.13.0 and <2.74.0 include a vulnerability in the USPTO patent XML parsers (ICE v4.x, Grant v2.5, Application v1.x) due to improper restriction of recursive entity references in DTDs (CWE-776). The parsers use xml.sax.parseString() without safeguards against XML External Entity (XXE) attacks, enabling attackers to craft malicious USPTO patent XML files that can trigger denial of service via entity expansion (Billion Laughs attack), read arbitrary server files, or perform server-side request forgery (SSRF). The vulnerability is resolved in docling version 2.74.0.
Potential Impact
The vulnerability allows unauthenticated attackers to cause denial of service by triggering excessive XML entity expansion, potentially exhausting server resources. Additionally, attackers may exploit the lack of XXE protections to read arbitrary files on the server or perform SSRF attacks. Confidentiality and availability of the affected system are at risk. No known exploits in the wild have been reported.
Mitigation Recommendations
Upgrade docling to version 2.74.0 or later, where this vulnerability is fixed. No other official remediation or temporary fixes are indicated. Patch status is not explicitly stated in the vendor advisory, but the fix is included in version 2.74.0.
Technical Details
- Data Version
- 5.2
- Assigner Short Name
- GitHub_M
- Date Reserved
- 2026-05-04T21:24:36.506Z
- Cvss Version
- 3.1
- State
- PUBLISHED
- Remediation Level
- null
Threat ID: 6a3c19c5eed863c81e395103
Added to database: 06/24/2026, 17:54:13 UTC
Last enriched: 06/24/2026, 18:10:37 UTC
Last updated: 06/24/2026, 19:06:45 UTC
Views: 5
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