Description
libxml2 2.9.4, when used in recover mode, allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (NULL pointer dereference) via a crafted XML document. NOTE: The maintainer states "I would disagree of a CVE with the Recover parsing option which should only be used for manual recovery at least for XML parser.
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 | 2.9.4+dfsg1-5.1 | — |
| Debian 13 | libxml2 | 2.9.4+dfsg1-5.1 | — |
| Debian 12 | libxml2 | 2.9.4+dfsg1-5.1 | — |
| Debian 9 | libxml2 | 2.9.4+dfsg1-2.2+deb9u6 | DLA-2972-1 |
Ubuntu
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu Pro 16.04 LTS | libxml2 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu Pro 14.04 LTS | libxml2 | No fix yet | — |
SUSE
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| SLES 12 SP2 | libxml2 +1 | 2.9.4-42.1 | SUSE-SU-2017:1670-1 |
| SLES 11 SP4 | libxml2 | 2.7.6-0.76.1 | SUSE-SU-2017:1813-1 |
| SLES 11 SP4 | libxml2-python | 2.7.6-0.76.4 | SUSE-SU-2017:1813-1 |
Show 2 more (older releases, extended support, other products)Fewer releases
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| SLES for SAP 12 SP2 | libxml2 +1 | 2.9.4-42.1 | SUSE-SU-2017:1670-1 |
| SLES for SAP 11 SP4 | libxml2 | 2.7.6-0.76.1 | SUSE-SU-2017:1813-1 |
| SLES for SAP 11 SP4 | libxml2-python | 2.7.6-0.76.4 | SUSE-SU-2017:1813-1 |
openSUSE
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| openSUSE Tumbleweed | libxml2 | 2.9.12-1.2 | openSUSE-SU-2024:11016-1 |
Alpine
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alpine v3.24 | libxml2 | 2.9.4-r4 | — |
| Alpine v3.23 | libxml2 | 2.9.4-r4 | — |
| Alpine v3.22 | libxml2 | 2.9.4-r4 | — |
| Alpine v3.21 | libxml2 | 2.9.4-r4 | — |
| Alpine v3.20 | libxml2 | 2.9.4-r4 | — |
Show 18 more (older releases, extended support, other products)Fewer releases
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alpine v3.19 | libxml2 | 2.9.4-r4 | — |
| Alpine v3.18 | libxml2 | 2.9.4-r4 | — |
| Alpine v3.17 | libxml2 | 2.9.4-r4 | — |
| Alpine v3.16 | libxml2 | 2.9.4-r4 | — |
| Alpine v3.15 | libxml2 | 2.9.4-r4 | — |
| Alpine v3.14 | libxml2 | 2.9.4-r4 | — |
| Alpine v3.13 | libxml2 | 2.9.4-r4 | — |
| Alpine v3.12 | libxml2 | 2.9.4-r4 | — |
| Alpine v3.11 | libxml2 | 2.9.4-r4 | — |
| Alpine v3.10 | libxml2 | 2.9.4-r4 | — |
| Alpine v3.9 | libxml2 | 2.9.4-r4 | — |
| Alpine v3.8 | libxml2 | 2.9.4-r4 | — |
| Alpine v3.7 | libxml2 | 2.9.4-r4 | — |
| Alpine v3.6 | libxml2 | 2.9.4-r4 | — |
| Alpine v3.5 | libxml2 | 2.9.4-r3 | — |
| Alpine v3.4 | libxml2 | 2.9.4-r3 | — |
| Alpine v3.3 | libxml2 | 2.9.4-r3 | — |
| Alpine v3.2 | libxml2 | 2.9.4-r3 | — |
Advisories 5
- DLA-2972-1 libxml2 - security update Debian Security (DSA / DLA) · Mar 9, 2026
- SUSE-SU-2017:1670-1 Security update for libxml2 SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Feb 4, 2026
- SUSE-SU-2017:1813-1 Security update for libxml2 SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Feb 4, 2026
- openSUSE-SU-2024:11016-1 libxml2-2-2.9.12-1.2 on GA media SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Feb 4, 2026
- WID-SEC-2023-1614 Tenable Security Nessus Network Monitor: Mehrere Schwachstellen BSI CERT-Bund (WID) · Oct 25, 2023
References
- https://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=778519
- [oss-security] 20170213 CVE-2017-5969: Null pointer derefence parsing xml file using libxml 2.9.4 (in recover mode) mailing-list
- [oss-security] 20161105 CVE request: Null pointer derefence parsing xml file using libxml 2.9.4 (in recover mode) mailing-list
- GLSA-201711-01 vendor-advisory
- 96188 vdb-entry
- [debian-lts-announce] 20220408 [SECURITY] [DLA 2972-1] libxml2 security update mailing-list