Out-of-Bounds Memory Access in libxml2 Python API

CVE-2025-32414

What is CVE-2025-32414?

CVE-2025-32414 is a vulnerability within the libxml2 library, specifically affecting its Python API. Libxml2 serves as a widely used library for XML parsing and manipulation in various applications. This vulnerability arises from an out-of-bounds memory access issue, which can occur due to incorrect return values in certain functions. If exploited, this flaw can lead to severe consequences for organizations, including potential data corruption or application crashes, jeopardizing the integrity and reliability of systems utilizing libxml2 for XML processing.

Technical Details

The vulnerability specifically involves the functions xmlPythonFileRead and xmlPythonFileReadRaw within libxml2 versions prior to 2.13.8 and 2.14.x versions before 2.14.2. The issue stems from a discrepancy in how bytes and characters are handled, resulting in the possibility of accessing memory locations outside the intended bounds. Such out-of-bounds access can cause unpredictable behavior within an application, potentially exposing sensitive data or leading to system instability.

Potential Impact of CVE-2025-32414

1. Data Corruption: An attacker exploiting this vulnerability could manipulate memory, potentially leading to the corruption of application data, which may disrupt business operations and result in the loss of critical information.

2. Application Crashes: Exploiting this flaw can cause the affected applications to crash unexpectedly, leading to service downtime and affecting the overall availability of systems that rely on libxml2 for XML processing.

3. Security Compromise: Although no active exploitations have been confirmed in the wild, the presence of this vulnerability could be leveraged in future attacks, giving malicious actors the ability to execute arbitrary code or further penetrate systems, heightening the risk of broader security incidents.

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