Denial of Service Vulnerability in Expat XML Parser
CVE-2018-20843

7.5HIGH

Key Information:

Vendor
Libexpat Project
Status
Libexpat
Vendor
CVE Published:
24 June 2019

Summary

A denial of service vulnerability exists in libexpat, where XML input containing numerous colons in names can lead to high CPU and RAM consumption during parsing. This excessive resource use can render systems unresponsive, enabling attackers to disrupt service availability through crafted XML documents. Proper input validation and system monitoring are essential to mitigate these risks.

References

https://usn.ubuntu.com/4040-1/
vendor-advisoryx_refsource_UBUNTU
https://usn.ubuntu.com/4040-2/
vendor-advisoryx_refsource_UBUNTU
https://www.debian.org/security/2019/dsa-4472
vendor-advisoryx_refsource_DEBIAN

EPSS Score

5% chance of being exploited in the next 30 days.

CVSS V3.1

Score:
7.5
Severity:
HIGH
Confidentiality:
None
Integrity:
None
Availability:
None
Attack Vector:
Network
Attack Complexity:
Low
Privileges Required:
None
User Interaction:
None
Scope:
Unchanged

Timeline

  • Vulnerability published

  • Vulnerability Reserved

.