libxml2: libxml2 stack-based buffer overflow (CVE-2025-24928) #shorts

Summary

In today's episode, we're diving deep into a critical vulnerability—CVE-2025-24928—which affects the widely used xmlsoft libxml2 library. This vulnerability involves a stack-based buffer overflow that could potentially be exploited to compromise systems using certain versions of this library.

Product details

The affected product is xmlsoft's libxml2 library versions before 2.12.10 and 2.13.x before 2.13.6. Libxml2 is a popular XML parser used in a variety of software applications for parsing and managing XML documents.

Vulnerability type summary

CVE-2025-24928 is classified under CWE-121, a common type of vulnerability known as Stack-based Buffer Overflow. This type of vulnerability can allow attackers to execute arbitrary code if exploited successfully.

Details of the vulnerability

The vulnerability resides in the xmlSnprintfElements function within valid.c of libxml2. To exploit this weakness, DTD validation must occur for an untrusted XML document or DTD. This vulnerability is similar to the previously identified CVE-2017-9047. Importantly, systems utilizing affected versions of libxml2, namely those prior to 2.12.10 and 2.13.6 for the 2.13.x series, should be updated immediately to mitigate risks.

Conclusion

As we wrap up this episode, remember that keeping software up-to-date is one of the best defenses against vulnerabilities like CVE-2025-24928. Ensure that your systems are running the latest versions of libxml2 to protect against potential exploits of this stack-based buffer overflow vulnerability. Stay tuned for more updates in our next episode. Thank you for listening!

Watch the full video on YouTube: CVE-2025-24928

Remediation and exploitation details

This chain involves the following actors

This following systems are involved

Attack entry point

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Related Content

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CVE database technical details

CVE ID
CVE-2025-24928
Description
libxml2 before 2.12.10 and 2.13.x before 2.13.6 has a stack-based buffer overflow in xmlSnprintfElements in valid.c. To exploit this, DTD validation must occur for an untrusted document or untrusted DTD. NOTE: this is similar to CVE-2017-9047.
Provider
mitre
CWE / problem types
CWE-121 Stack-based Buffer Overflow
Affected Software Versions
xmlsoft:libxml2:[{'lessThan': '2.12.10', 'status': 'affected', 'version': '0', 'versionType': 'semver'}, {'lessThan': '2.13.6', 'status': 'affected', 'version': '2.13.0', 'versionType': 'semver'}]
Date Published
2025-02-18T00:00:00.000Z
Last Updated
2025-03-21T18:03:53.384Z