Code execution via stale raw tag-name pointers
Published Sep 14, 2022 · Updated May 30, 2025
Use-after-free in libexpat before 2.4.9 allows remote attackers to crash XML-parsing applications or execute arbitrary code via crafted XML. When parsing resumes inside an internal entity with unclosed tags, doContent returns without storeRawNames copying raw tag names out of the parse buffer, leaving pointers stale after that buffer is changed or reallocated. Exploitation requires an application to suspend and resume parsing during internal-entity substitution and then process attacker-controlled XML; the bounded outcomes are a crash or arbitrary code execution in that application's context.
Summary
What happened
Use-after-free in libexpat before 2.4.9 allows remote attackers to crash XML-parsing applications or execute arbitrary code via crafted XML. When parsing resumes inside an internal entity with unclosed tags, doContent returns without storeRawNames copying raw tag names out of the parse buffer, leaving pointers stale after that buffer is changed or reallocated. Exploitation requires an application to suspend and resume parsing during internal-entity substitution and then process attacker-controlled XML; the bounded outcomes are a crash or arbitrary code execution in that application's context.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2022-40674
- Published
- Sep 14, 2022
- Updated
- May 30, 2025
- Vendor
- Unknown vendor
- Product
- Unknown product
- Classifications
- CWE-416
- Attack vector
- Unavailable
- Privileges
- Unavailable
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Sep 14, 2022CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- May 30, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
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