Description
Stack consumption vulnerability in validators/DTD/DTDScanner.cpp in Apache Xerces C++ 2.7.0 and 2.8.0 allows context-dependent attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash) via vectors involving nested parentheses and invalid byte values in "simply nested DTD structures," as demonstrated by the Codenomicon XML fuzzing framework.
Fixed in Linux distributions
Distributions backport fixes, so the version that fixes this vulnerability differs per release — upgrade to at least the version shown. From the distributions' security trackers and advisories.
Debian
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian 14 | xerces-c | 3.0.1-2 | — |
| Debian 13 | xerces-c | 3.0.1-2 | — |
| Debian 12 | xerces-c | 3.0.1-2 | — |
openSUSE
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| openSUSE Tumbleweed | xerces-c | 3.1.4-1.3 | openSUSE-SU-2024:10039-1 |
Advisories 1
- openSUSE-SU-2024:10039-1 libxerces-c-3_1-3.1.4-1.3 on GA media SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Feb 4, 2026
References
- 35986 vdb-entry
- http://www.networkworld.com/columnists/2009/080509-xml-flaw.html
- http://www.cert.fi/en/reports/2009/vulnerability2009085.html
- http://www.codenomicon.com/labs/xml/
- FEDORA-2009-8345 vendor-advisory
- 36201 third-party-advisory
- ADV-2009-2196 vdb-entry
- http://svn.apache.org/viewvc/xerces/c/trunk/src/xercesc/validators/DTD/DTDScanner.cpp?r1=781488&r2=781487&pathrev=781488&view=patch
- FEDORA-2009-8305 vendor-advisory
- MDVSA-2009:223 vendor-advisory
- xerces-c-dtd-dos(52321) vdb-entry
- FEDORA-2009-8350 vendor-advisory
- http://svn.apache.org/viewvc?view=rev&revision=781488
- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=515515
- FEDORA-2009-8332 vendor-advisory