XXE in petl
Impact
Information Disclosure
Summary
petl is a Python library that provides functions for extraction, transformation, and loading (ETL) of data.
petl before 1.68, in some configurations, allows resolution of entities in XML input.
An attacker who is able to submit XML input to an application using petl can disclose arbitrary files on the file system in the context of the user under which the application is running.
Affected Applications
Applications that:
- accept attacker-supplied XML input that is processed using petl < 1.68
- return the response generated by petl back to the attacker
- configure lxml as the underlying XML processing library used by petl
- have read privileges in filesystem files with sensitive information
Mitigation
Update to petl >= 1.68
Workarounds
- Assure there is no user/external access to the application using petl
- Assure your application is not using the function fromxml()
References
- https://github.com/nvn1729/advisories/blob/master/cve-2020-29128.md
- https://github.com/petl-developers/petl/pull/527
- https://github.com/petl-developers/petl/releases/tag/v1.6.8
- https://petl.readthedocs.io/en/stable/changes.html
- https://owasp.org/www-community/vulnerabilities/XML_External_Entity_(XXE)_Processing
For more information
If you have any questions or comments about this advisory:
- Add a comment in the Github issue
Thaks to Naveen Sunkavally.
Affected software
Click a technology to see all vulnerabilities affecting it.
| Platform | Package | Vulnerable versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Python (PyPI) | petl | < 1.6.8 | 1.6.8 |
References
- https://petl.readthedocs.io/en/stable/changes.html
- https://github.com/petl-developers/petl/pull/527
- https://github.com/petl-developers/petl/compare/v1.6.7...v1.6.8
- https://github.com/petl-developers/petl/pull/527/commits/1b0a09f08c3cdfe2e69647bd02f97c1367a5b5f8
- https://github.com/petl-developers/petl/issues/526
- https://github.com/petl-developers/petl/security/advisories/GHSA-f5gc-p5m3-v347
- https://github.com/nvn1729/advisories/blob/master/cve-2020-29128.md
- https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-69q2-p9xp-739v
- https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-29128
- https://github.com/petl-developers/petl/commit/07420ef8463cc387aea84e2d6241cf556574e2a5
- https://github.com/petl-developers/petl
- https://github.com/pypa/advisory-database/tree/main/vulns/petl/PYSEC-2020-75.yaml
- https://owasp.org/www-community/vulnerabilities/XML_External_Entity_(XXE)_Processing
- https://github.com/petl-developers/petl/releases/tag/v1.6.8
- CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H- Weakness (CWE)
CWE-91, CWE-611- Platform
- Python (PyPI)
- Package
petl- Disclosed
- 26.11.2020
- Updated
- 11.10.2026 15:17
Sources and licenses
OSV / GitHub Advisory Database - PYSEC-2020-75 - PyPA Advisory Database; CC BY 4.0
OSV / GitHub Advisory Database - GHSA-69q2-p9xp-739v - CC BY 4.0
OSV / GitHub Advisory Database - GHSA-f5gc-p5m3-v347 - CC BY 4.0
Vulnerability history: petl
All published vulnerabilities of this package (Python (PyPI)), newest first. Shows whether this is a one-off slip or a package that needs watching.
This is the only known vulnerability of this package.
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