Docling's METS GBS backend is vulnerable to XML Entity Expansion (XXE) attacks
Docling's METS GBS backend is vulnerable to XML Entity Expansion (XXE) attacks thru 2.61.0. The backend extracts and validates XML files from .tar.gz archives using etree.fromstring() without disabling entity resolution. An attacker can craft a malicious XML file with nested entity definitions (XML Bomb) and package it into a .tar.gz archive. When processed by Docling, the exponential expansion of entities during XML parsing leads to excessive resource consumption, resulting in a denial of service (DoS) condition on the system running the Docling parser.
Affected software
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| Platform | Package | Vulnerable versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Python (PyPI) | docling | <= 2.61.0 | no fix |
References
- CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H- Weakness (CWE)
CWE-776- Platform
- Python (PyPI)
- Package
docling- Disclosed
- 11.05.2026
- Updated
- 11.10.2026 14:18
Sources and licenses
OSV / GitHub Advisory Database - PYSEC-2026-2454 - PyPA Advisory Database; CC BY 4.0
OSV / GitHub Advisory Database - GHSA-9f4q-q82q-4359 - CC BY 4.0
Vulnerability history: docling
All published vulnerabilities of this package (Python (PyPI)), newest first. Shows whether this is a one-off slip or a package that needs watching.
- Total entries
- 18
- First → latest
- 05.2026 10.2026
- Without a fix
- 2
- Exploited in attacks
- 0
Severity breakdown
- High 7
- Medium 10
- Low 1
Disclosures per year
- 2026: 18
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Docling's METS GBS backend is vulnerable to XML Entity Expansion (XXE) attacks this entry
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