PMD 5.8.1 and earlier processes XML external entities in ruleset files it parses as part of the analysis process, allowing attackers tampering it (either by direct modification or MITM attacks when using remote rulesets) to perform information disclosure, denial of service, or request forgery attacks. (PMD 6.x is unaffected because of a 2017-09-15 change.)
Severity
CVSS 3.0
8.1 high
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
EPSS
1.2% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days; higher than 69% of CVEs (scores of 2026-10-31)