`CVE-2023-23926`

Severity	8.1 High CVSS 3.1 2 scores
Fixed in	`5.5.0`, `4.4.0.14`
Weakness	XML external entity (XXE) (CWE-611)
Published	16 Feb 2023
Updated	17 Jun 2026

Description

APOC (Awesome Procedures on Cypher) is an add-on library for Neo4j. An XML External Entity (XXE) vulnerability found in the apoc.import.graphml procedure of APOC core plugin prior to version 5.5.0 and 4.4.0.14 (4.4 branch) in Neo4j graph database. XML External Entity (XXE) injection occurs when the XML parser allows external entities to be resolved. The XML parser used by the apoc.import.graphml procedure was not configured in a secure way and therefore allowed this. External entities can be used to read local files, send HTTP requests, and perform denial-of-service attacks on the application. Abusing the XXE vulnerability enabled assessors to read local files remotely. Although with the level of privileges assessors had this was limited to one-line files. With the ability to write to the database, any file could have been read. Additionally, assessors noted, with local testing, the server could be crashed by passing in improperly formatted XML. The minimum version containing a patch for this vulnerability is 5.5.0. Those who cannot upgrade the library can control the allowlist of the procedures that can be used in your system.

Exploitation status

No public exploit

No exploit has been reported in the sources we check. Published 3 years ago.

CISA KEV not listed
VulnCheck KEV not listed
CISA Vulnrichment exploitation: none
Indexed PoC none indexed
EPSS 0.89% chance in 30 days

Waratek protection

Protected by Waratek

Waratek has a rule that blocks attacks on this vulnerability.

Protection full XXE
Action available security rule
Review automated Inferred
Record active

Decided by	A vulnerability class already blocked by an ARMR security rule
Finding	Protected by Waratek's ARMR xxe security rule, which blocks this class of attack at the JVM level without a rule written for this CVE specifically. The CVE's weakness is CWE-611: XML External Entity Reference.
Candidate fix	https://github.com/neo4j/apoc/pull/310 : a pull request: the change under review

Decided by

A vulnerability class already blocked by an ARMR security rule

Finding

Protected by Waratek's ARMR xxe security rule, which blocks this class of attack at the JVM level without a rule written for this CVE specifically. The CVE's weakness is CWE-611: XML External Entity Reference.

Candidate fix

https://github.com/neo4j/apoc/pull/310 : a pull request: the change under review

How to mitigate CVE-2023-23926

Upgrade the affected software to a release that fixes it: 5.5.0 or 4.4.0.14. Until you can, Waratek RASP blocks exploitation with its XXE rule. It runs inside the Java application, with no code changes.

Waratek RASP Runtime protection for Java applications

CVSS

8.1 HIGH v3.1 CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:H 2 metrics

We show the highest score from the newest CVSS version. Scores from different versions can't be compared, and the first score listed is sometimes a 0.0 placeholder.

Version Score Band Vector Assigner Type

CVSS 3.1 8.1 HIGH CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:H NVD Primary published

CVSS 3.1 5.9 MEDIUM CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:H security-advisories@github.com Secondary

Version	Score	Band	Vector	Assigner	Type
CVSS 3.1	8.1	HIGH	`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:H`	NVD	Primary	published
CVSS 3.1	5.9	MEDIUM	`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:H`	security-advisories@github.com	Secondary

Affected software and releases

Maven packages

Affected and fixed versions, from OSV.dev

Package Introduced Fixed Last affected

org.neo4j.procedure:apoc-core 5.0.0 5.5.0 unbounded

org.neo4j.procedure:apoc-core 0 4.4.0.14 unbounded

Package	Introduced	Fixed	Last affected
`org.neo4j.procedure:apoc-core`	5.0.0	`5.5.0`	unbounded
`org.neo4j.procedure:apoc-core`	0	`4.4.0.14`	unbounded

Products and versions

2 products, 3 version entries

Source	Vendor	Product	Scheme	Affected versions
nvd	neo4j	awesome procedures on cyper	generic	＜ 5.5.0
osv	org.neo4j.procedure	apoc-core	generic	＜ 4.4.0.14 · ≥ 5.0.0 and ＜ 5.5.0

Source

Vendor

Product

Scheme

Affected versions

nvd

neo4j

awesome procedures on cyper

generic

＜ 5.5.0

osv

org.neo4j.procedure

apoc-core

generic

＜ 4.4.0.14 · ≥ 5.0.0 and ＜ 5.5.0

References

URL	Tags
https://github.com/neo4j/apoc/pull/310	pr
https://github.com/neo4j/apoc/security/advisories/GHSA-6wxg-wh7f-rqpr	WEB
https://github.com/neo4j/apoc/commit/f175f1f1f663d29fc151c297b56d154255eb7016	WEB
https://github.com/neo4j/apoc	PACKAGE
https://github.com/neo4j/apoc/releases/tag/5.5.0	WEB
https://neo4j.com/docs/operations-manual/current/reference/configuration-settings/#config_dbms.security.procedures.allowlist	WEB

URL

Timeline

Published	2023-02-16	By the CVE Program.
NVD record modified	2026-06-17	NVD's own last-modified date for this record.

Published

2023-02-16

By the CVE Program.

NVD record modified

2026-06-17

NVD's own last-modified date for this record.

How VRT decided (17 of 24 rules ran)

17 of 24 rules ran. The rest didn't run because an earlier rule had already settled the CVE.

# Rule Outcome Status Detail

identity: Does this identifier describe a vulnerability at all? the first rule that matches decides

1 rejected no match CVE Program withdrawal of this identifier

scope: Is it a vulnerability Waratek protects? the first rule that matches decides

2 armr-patch-file no match An ARMR patch file on disk for this CVE

3 armr-secure-rule-file no match An ARMR security-rule template on disk for this CVE

4 manual-classification no match A researcher's recorded decision for this specific CVE

5 manual classification no match Manual classification of this CVE in the legacy dataset

6 non-java-upstream no match A root cause in non-Java code: an OS kernel, a C library, or a bundled runtime

7 oracle-component no match The defect being in a component of a tracked product the agent does not reach: JavaFX, the Java SE installer, the JInitiator browser plug-in, the native WebLogic proxy plug-in, or a native part of Oracle Application Server or Collaboration Suite (HTTP Server, Web Cache, Internet Directory, mail and calendar servers). Oracle gives these no CPE of their own and names them only in the description.

8 java-client-side no match Oracle's own risk-matrix note saying the CVE is reached only through untrusted code in the Java sandbox (applets, Web Start) or only through a client installation of Java, so a server running its own trusted code is not exposed

9 osv-maven matched In scope Maven packages: org.neo4j.procedure:apoc-core

10 cna-maven-package not reached An affected Maven artifact named by the CNA itself

11 known-cpe-product not reached An NVD CPE naming a product ARMR tracks

12 cna-cpe-product not reached A CPE the CNA published naming a tracked product. Oracle publishes these on advisory day, months before NVD.

13 oracle-advisory-family not reached A tracked product family named in Oracle's own risk matrix. CPE cannot carry a suite name, only a module.

14 cna-named-product not reached A tracked product named in words by the CVE's own CNA, on a record with no CPE yet. Apache and Eclipse publish these on advisory day, before NVD adds CPE data.

15 non-deployable-product not reached The only affected product being a sealed appliance image, where Java runs but no -javaagent can be attached

16 unmatched-product not reached No tracked product matched above, and none present at all

disposition: What do we do about one that is? every rule runs

17 patch-hint matched Mitigation candidate References include candidate fix URL (pr tier): https://github.com/neo4j/apoc/pull/310

18 open-source-maven skipped The affected package being open source on Maven, so the fix can be read

19 poc-derivable skipped An indexed exploit clearing the evidence bar to reverse-engineer, where there is no source to read

20 no-exploit skipped Nothing to build a rule from yet: no published exploit, no CISA record of exploitation and no source-level change to read

21 secure-rule-match decided it matched Protected by Waratek CWE-611 (XML External Entity Reference) is mitigable by an ARMR xxe security rule.

22 exploited-no-fix-or-poc skipped Somebody exploiting this CVE (a CISA or VulnCheck KEV listing, or a CISA verdict of active exploitation), with no fix, source code or PoC to build a rule from

23 below-action-threshold skipped Medium or Low severity, no CISA or VulnCheck KEV listing, no PoC clearing the evidence bar, no CISA verdict, no Oracle advisory

24 no-exploit-published skipped Exploit code for this candidate, published in a reviewed catalogue or a GitHub repository with 5 or more stars, or in use per CISA or VulnCheck; not only a CISA verdict, a forecast, or nothing at all

Products the scope rules checked

The products this CVE's record names, and whether VRT tracks each one. The scope rules decided on these.

Vendor Product Tracked CPE Source

neo4j awesome_procedures_on_cyper tracked cpe:2.3:a:neo4j:awesome_procedures_on_cyper:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* yaml

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