CVE-2020-26259
mediumpriority · attend · 66EPSS 0.824 · 100 %ileexploit · PoCDEEURUUSEPSS · scored 2026-10-27
XStream is a Java library to serialize objects to XML and back again. In XStream before version 1.4.15, is vulnerable to an Arbitrary File Deletion on the local host when unmarshalling. The vulnerability may allow a remote attacker to delete arbitrary know files on the host as log as the executing process has sufficient rights only by manipulating the processed input stream. If you rely on XStream's default blacklist of the Security Framework, you will have to use at least version 1.4.15. The reported vulnerability does not exist running Java 15 or higher. No user is affected, who followed the recommendation to setup XStream's Security Framework with a whitelist! Anyone relying on XStream's default blacklist can immediately switch to a whilelist for the allowed types to avoid the vulnerability. Users of XStream 1.4.14 or below who still want to use XStream default blacklist can use a workaround described in more detailed in the referenced advisories.
cvss
Technical severity, 0–10. One row per scoring source.
base score 0–10 · higher = more severe · hover a vector to decode⚠ sources disagree · medium–high · 6.4–7.5
ssvc
A stakeholder decision — act, attend, or track — from exploitation and impact.
weaknesses
The CWE weakness classes this flaw belongs to.
exploits (3)
Public proof-of-concept and weaponised exploit code.
- Al1ex/CVE-2020-26259CVE-2020-26259 &&XStream Arbitrary File DeletePoC · poc_in_github
- cuijiung/xstream-CVE-2020-26259cuijiung/xstream-CVE-2020-26259PoC · poc_in_github
affected products (17)
Products and version ranges known to be affected.
advisories (2)
Vendor and ecosystem advisories describing this.
- WID-SEC-W-2026-0180Dell Data Protection Advisor: Mehrere SchwachstellenDeutsch2026-01-20csaf · cert_bundDE
Ein Angreifer kann mehrere Schwachstellen in Dell Data Protection Advisor ausnutzen, um beliebigen Code auszuführen, einen Denial-of-Service-Zustand zu erzeugen, Sicherheitsmaßnahmen zu umgehen und nicht näher spezifizierte Angriffe zu starten.
- GHSA-jfvx-7wrx-43fhXStream vulnerable to an Arbitrary File Deletion on the local host when unmarshalling2020-12-21ghsa · osvUS
### Impact The vulnerability may allow a remote attacker to delete arbitrary know files on the host as log as the executing process has sufficient rights only by manipulating the processed input stream. ### Patches If you rely on XStream's default blacklist of the [Security Framework](https://x-stream.github.io/security.html#framework), you will have to use at least version 1.4.15. ### Workarounds The reported vulnerability does only exist with a JAX-WS runtime on the classpath. No user is affected, who followed the recommendation to setup XStream's Security Framework with a whitelist! Anyone relying on XStream's default blacklist can immediately switch to a whilelist for the allowed types to avoid the vulnerability. Users of XStream 1.4.14 or below who still insist to use XStream default blacklist - despite that clear recommendation - can use a workaround depending on their version in use. Users of XStream 1.4.14 can simply add two lines to XStream's setup code: ```Java xstream.denyTypes(new String[]{ "jdk.nashorn.internal.objects.NativeString" }); xstream.denyTypesByRegExp(new String[]{ ".*\\.ReadAllStream\\$FileStream" }); ``` Users of XStream 1.4.14 to 1.4.13 can simply add three lines to XStream's setup code: ```Java xstream.denyTypes(new String[]{ "javax.imageio.ImageIO$ContainsFilter", "jdk.nashorn.internal.objects.NativeString" }); xstream.denyTypes(new Class[]{ java.lang.ProcessBuilder.class }); xstream.denyTypesByRegExp(new String[]{ ".*\\.ReadAllStream\\$FileStream" }); ``` Users of XStream 1.4.12 to 1.4.7 who want to use XStream with a black list will have to setup such a list from scratch and deny at least the following types: _javax.imageio.ImageIO$ContainsFilter_, _java.beans.EventHandler_, _java.lang.ProcessBuilder_, _jdk.nashorn.internal.objects.NativeString.class_, _java.lang.Void_ and _void_ and deny several types by name pattern. ```Java xstream.denyTypes(new String[]{ "javax.imageio.ImageIO$ContainsFilter", "jdk.nashorn.internal.objects.NativeString" }); xstream.denyTypes(new Class[]{ java.lang.ProcessBuilder.class, "jdk.nashorn.internal.objects.NativeString", java.beans.EventHandler.class, java.lang.ProcessBuilder.class, java.lang.Void.class, void.class }); xstream.denyTypesByRegExp(new String[]{ ".*\\$LazyIterator", "javax\\.crypto\\..*", ".*\\.ReadAllStream\\$FileStream" }); ``` Users of XStream 1.4.6 or below can register an own converter to prevent the unmarshalling of the currently know critical types of the Java runtime. It is in fact an updated version of the workaround for CVE-2013-7285: ```Java xstream.registerConverter(new Converter() { public boolean canConvert(Class type) { return type != null && (type == java.beans.EventHandler.class || type == java.lang.ProcessBuilder.class || type.getName().equals("javax.imageio.ImageIO$ContainsFilter") || type.getName().equals("jdk.nashorn.internal.objects.NativeString") || type == java.lang.Void.class || void.class || Proxy.isProxy(type)) || type.getName().startsWith("javax.crypto.") || type.getName().endsWith("$LazyIterator") || type.getName().endsWith(".ReadAllStream$FileStream")); } public Object unmarshal(HierarchicalStreamReader reader, UnmarshallingContext context) { throw new ConversionException("Unsupported type due to security reasons."); } public void marshal(Object source, HierarchicalStreamWriter writer, MarshallingContext context) { throw new ConversionException("Unsupported type due to security reasons."); } }, XStream.PRIORITY_LOW); ``` ### For more information If you have any questions or comments about this advisory: * Open an issue in [XStream](https://github.com/x-stream/xstream/issues) * Contact us at [XStream Google Group](https://groups.google.com/group/xstream-user)
also known as (4)
Other names and identifiers for this entity.
sources
Which sources assert this record, and when.
references (57)
External citations — patches, advisories, analysis.
- https://github.com/x-stream/xstream/security/advisories/GHSA-jfvx-7wrx-43fhcnnvd
- https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r97993e3d78e1f5389b7b172ba9f308440830ce5f051ee62714a0aa34%40%3Ccommits.struts.apache.org%3Ecnnvd
- https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r97993e3d78e1f5389b7b172ba9f308440830ce5f051ee62714a0aa34@%3Ccommits.struts.apache.org%3Ecnnvd
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2020/12/msg00042.htmlcnnvd
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/22KVR6B5IZP3BGQ3HPWIO2FWWCKT3DHP/cnnvd
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/PVPHZA7VW2RRSDCOIPP2W6O5ND254TU7/cnnvd
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/QGXIU3YDPG6OGTDHMBLAFN7BPBERXREB/cnnvd
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/22KVR6B5IZP3BGQ3HPWIO2FWWCKT3DHP/cnnvd
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