Description
Stack consumption vulnerability in libxml2 2.5.10, 2.6.16, 2.6.26, 2.6.27, and 2.6.32, and libxml 1.8.17, allows context-dependent attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash) via a large depth of element declarations in a DTD, related to a function recursion, 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 | libxml2 | 2.7.3.dfsg-2.1 | — |
| Debian 13 | libxml2 | 2.7.3.dfsg-2.1 | — |
| Debian 12 | libxml2 | 2.7.3.dfsg-2.1 | — |
| Debian 5.0 | libxml2 | 2.6.32.dfsg-5+lenny1 | DSA-1859-1 |
| Debian 4.0 | libxml | 1:1.8.17-14+etch1 | DSA-1861-1 |
| Debian 4.0 | libxml2 | 2.6.27.dfsg-6+etch1 | DSA-1859-1 |
Red Hat
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| RHEL 5 | libxml2 +2 | 2.6.26-2.1.2.8 | RHSA-2009:1206 |
| RHEL 4 | libxml2 +2 | 2.6.16-12.7 | RHSA-2009:1206 |
| RHEL 3 | libxml +1 | 1:1.8.17-9.3 | RHSA-2009:1206 |
| RHEL 3 | libxml2 +2 | 2.5.10-15 | RHSA-2009:1206 |
Advisories 3
- RHSA-2009:1206 Red Hat Security Advisory: libxml and libxml2 security update Red Hat Security Advisories (RHSA) · Jun 26, 2026
- DSA-1859-1 libxml2 - several issues Debian Security (DSA / DLA) · Mar 9, 2026
- DSA-1861-1 libxml - several issues Debian Security (DSA / DLA) · Mar 9, 2026
References
- USN-815-1 vendor-advisory
- FEDORA-2009-8491 vendor-advisory
- 36631 third-party-advisory
- http://www.networkworld.com/columnists/2009/080509-xml-flaw.html
- http://www.openoffice.org/security/cves/CVE-2009-2414-2416.html
- APPLE-SA-2009-11-11-1 vendor-advisory
- ADV-2009-3217 vdb-entry
- 37471 third-party-advisory
- http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4225
- ADV-2009-2420 vdb-entry
- FEDORA-2009-8580 vendor-advisory
- http://www.vmware.com/security/advisories/VMSA-2009-0016.html
- 36417 third-party-advisory
- http://www.cert.fi/en/reports/2009/vulnerability2009085.html
- http://www.codenomicon.com/labs/xml/
- SUSE-SR:2009:015 vendor-advisory
- http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3949
- [debian-bugs-dist] 20090810 Bug#540865: libxml2: CVE-2009-2414, CVE-2009-2416 pointer-user-after-free and stack overflow because of function recursion mailing-list
- 36010 vdb-entry
- http://googlechromereleases.blogspot.com/2009/08/stable-update-security-fixes.html
- 20091120 VMSA-2009-0016 VMware vCenter and ESX update release and vMA patch release address multiple security issue in third party components mailing-list
- https://git.gnome.org/browse/libxml2/commit/?id=489f9671e71cc44a97b23111b3126ac8a1e21a59
- 35036 third-party-advisory
- 36338 third-party-advisory
- FEDORA-2009-8498 vendor-advisory
- oval:org.mitre.oval:def:8639 vdb-entry signature
- oval:org.mitre.oval:def:10129 vdb-entry signature
- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=515195
- ADV-2009-3184 vdb-entry
- DSA-1859 vendor-advisory
- APPLE-SA-2009-11-09-1 vendor-advisory
- APPLE-SA-2010-06-21-1 vendor-advisory
- 37346 third-party-advisory
- ADV-2009-3316 vdb-entry
- http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3937
- 36207 third-party-advisory