# CVE-2025-54988: Apache Tika XXE Vulnerability via Crafted XFA File Inside a PDF

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2025-54988-apache-tika-xxe-vulnerability-via-crafted-xfa-file-inside-a-pdf  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2025-08-20  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2025-54988 · Severity: low · CVSS 3.1 · Published 2025-08-20

Apache Tika XXE Vulnerability via Crafted XFA File Inside a PDF

Technologies: [org.apache.tika:tika-parsers (Maven)](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/org-apache-tika-tika-parsers). Vendors: [Maven](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/maven).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2025-54988 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2025-54988 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2025-54988?** Low severity, with a CVSS score of 3.1, published 20 August 2025.

**Which products and versions are affected?** org.apache.tika:tika-parser-pdf-module (Maven) ECOSYSTEM:introduced=1.13,fixed=3.2.2; org.apache.tika:tika-parsers (Maven) ECOSYSTEM:introduced=1.13,fixed=2.0.0-ALPHA.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2025-54988?** Yes. org.apache.tika:tika-parser-pdf-module (Maven): upgrade to 3.2.2 or later; org.apache.tika:tika-parsers (Maven): upgrade to 2.0.0-ALPHA or later. Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.

**Am I affected by CVE-2025-54988?** Check whether you run org.apache.tika:tika-parser-pdf-module (Maven) or org.apache.tika:tika-parsers (Maven) at an affected version. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

## How to fix

- org.apache.tika:tika-parser-pdf-module (Maven): upgrade to 3.2.2 or later

  ```sh
  # set org.apache.tika:tika-parser-pdf-module to 3.2.2 in your pom.xml or build.gradle
  ```

- org.apache.tika:tika-parsers (Maven): upgrade to 2.0.0-ALPHA or later

  ```sh
  # set org.apache.tika:tika-parsers to 2.0.0-ALPHA in your pom.xml or build.gradle
  ```


## Affected products

- org.apache.tika:tika-parser-pdf-module (Maven) ECOSYSTEM:introduced=1.13,fixed=3.2.2
- org.apache.tika:tika-parsers (Maven) ECOSYSTEM:introduced=1.13,fixed=2.0.0-ALPHA

## Identifiers

- CVE-2025-54988
- GHSA-p72g-pv48-7w9x

## Related threats

- [Apache Tika has XXE vulnerability](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2025-66516-apache-tika-has-xxe-vulnerability)
- [Allocation of Resources Without Limits or Throttling in Apache Tika](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2019-10093-allocation-of-resources-without-limits-or-throttling-in-apache)
- [Apache Tika Denial of Service due to Infinite Loop in Tika's SQLite3Parser](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2018-17197-apache-tika-denial-of-service-due-to-infinite-loop-in-tika-s)
- [org.apache.tika:tika-parsers has an Infinite Loop vulnerability](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2018-1339-org-apache-tika-tika-parsers-has-an-infinite-loop-vulnerability)