CVE-2025-7823: Jinher OA XXE Vulnerability

CVE-2025-7823 Overview

A vulnerability has been identified in Jinher OA version 1.2 that allows XML External Entity (XXE) injection attacks. The vulnerability exists in the ProjectScheduleDelete.aspx file, where improper handling of XML input allows attackers to inject malicious external entity references. This vulnerability can be exploited remotely without authentication, potentially allowing attackers to read sensitive files, perform server-side request forgery (SSRF), or cause denial of service conditions.

Critical Impact

Remote attackers can exploit the XXE vulnerability in Jinher OA to access sensitive server-side data, enumerate internal network resources, or disrupt application availability through malicious XML payloads.

Affected Products

• Jinher OA version 1.2
• jinher:jinher_oa component

Discovery Timeline

• 2025-07-19 - CVE-2025-7823 published to NVD
• 2025-08-26 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-7823

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified as CWE-610 (Externally Controlled Reference to a Resource in Another Sphere), specifically manifesting as an XML External Entity (XXE) injection vulnerability. The affected component, ProjectScheduleDelete.aspx, processes XML input without properly disabling external entity resolution. When the XML parser encounters a maliciously crafted document containing external entity declarations, it attempts to resolve those entities, allowing attackers to reference external resources or local files.

The network-accessible nature of this vulnerability means that any authenticated or unauthenticated user who can submit XML data to the affected endpoint may exploit this weakness. The exploit has been publicly disclosed, increasing the risk of exploitation in the wild.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability lies in the insecure XML parser configuration within the ProjectScheduleDelete.aspx file. The application fails to disable Document Type Definition (DTD) processing and external entity resolution before parsing user-supplied XML content. This configuration oversight allows the XML parser to process arbitrary external entity declarations embedded in malicious XML documents, leading to the XXE vulnerability.

Attack Vector

The attack can be initiated remotely over the network without requiring user interaction. An attacker can craft a malicious XML payload containing external entity declarations and submit it to the vulnerable ProjectScheduleDelete.aspx endpoint. The XML parser will then attempt to resolve these external entities, which can be abused to:

1. Read local files: By referencing local file paths using the file:// protocol, attackers can exfiltrate sensitive configuration files, credentials, or source code.
2. Perform SSRF attacks: By referencing internal network resources using http:// or other protocols, attackers can scan internal networks or access internal services.
3. Cause denial of service: Through billion laughs attacks or by referencing extremely large or slow-responding external resources.

The vulnerability mechanism involves crafting an XML document with a DOCTYPE declaration containing external entity definitions. When the document is processed, the parser resolves these entities, executing the attacker's intended action. Technical details and proof-of-concept information can be found in the GitHub CVE Issue Discussion.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-7823

Indicators of Compromise

• HTTP requests to ProjectScheduleDelete.aspx containing XML payloads with DOCTYPE declarations or ENTITY definitions
• Unusual outbound network connections from the web server to external hosts
• Access attempts to sensitive local files such as /etc/passwd, web.config, or similar configuration files originating from the web application process
• Error logs containing XML parsing errors related to external entity resolution

Detection Strategies

• Implement web application firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block XML payloads containing DOCTYPE, ENTITY, or SYSTEM keywords in requests to the affected endpoint
• Monitor application logs for requests to ProjectScheduleDelete.aspx with unusually large or malformed XML content
• Deploy network monitoring to detect unexpected outbound connections from web servers that could indicate SSRF exploitation
• Utilize intrusion detection systems (IDS) with signatures for known XXE attack patterns

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable detailed logging on the Jinher OA application to capture all incoming requests to ASP.NET endpoints
• Configure SIEM rules to alert on multiple failed XML parsing attempts or unusual access patterns to the vulnerable endpoint
• Monitor for file access attempts from the web server process to sensitive system files
• Track outbound DNS queries and HTTP connections from the application server to detect potential data exfiltration attempts

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-7823

Immediate Actions Required

• Restrict network access to the ProjectScheduleDelete.aspx endpoint using firewall rules or web application firewall policies
• Implement input validation to reject XML documents containing DOCTYPE declarations
• Apply the principle of least privilege to the web application service account to limit the impact of potential exploitation
• Review application logs for signs of exploitation and investigate any suspicious activity

Patch Information

No vendor advisory or official patch has been released at the time of this analysis. Organizations should monitor the vendor's official channels for security updates. Additional vulnerability details can be found in the VulDB entry #316924.

Workarounds

• Disable external entity processing in the XML parser configuration by setting DtdProcessing to Prohibit or Ignore in .NET XML parser settings
• Implement a web application firewall rule to block requests containing XML DOCTYPE declarations to the affected endpoint
• Consider placing the vulnerable endpoint behind additional authentication controls until a patch is available
• If the ProjectScheduleDelete.aspx functionality is not critical, consider temporarily disabling access to this endpoint

# Example IIS URL Rewrite rule to block DOCTYPE in requests
# Add to web.config in the Jinher OA application directory
<rule name="Block XXE Attempts" stopProcessing="true">
    <match url="ProjectScheduleDelete\.aspx" />
    <conditions>
        <add input="{REQUEST_BODY}" pattern="<!DOCTYPE" />
    </conditions>
    <action type="CustomResponse" statusCode="403" statusDescription="Forbidden" />
</rule>