Application crash via legacy SAX1 callback handling
Published Aug 29, 2023 · Updated Nov 3, 2025
Out-of-bounds read in libxml2 2.11.0 allows attackers to crash an application when it parses a crafted XML file through SAX1. xmlSAX2StartElement in SAX2.c accesses memory outside the expected buffer while dispatching legacy SAX1 start-element callbacks. The claim requires unsupported custom callbacks on the legacy SAX1 interface, and the maintainer states that this configuration crashes without crafted input.
Summary
What happened
Out-of-bounds read in libxml2 2.11.0 allows attackers to crash an application when it parses a crafted XML file through SAX1. xmlSAX2StartElement in SAX2.c accesses memory outside the expected buffer while dispatching legacy SAX1 start-element callbacks. The claim requires unsupported custom callbacks on the legacy SAX1 interface, and the maintainer states that this configuration crashes without crafted input.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2023-39615
- Published
- Aug 29, 2023
- Updated
- Nov 3, 2025
- Vendor
- Unknown vendor
- Product
- Unknown product
- Classifications
- CWE-119, T1203
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Aug 29, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Nov 3, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
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What is affected?
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Published CVSS scores
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Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
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Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
- Public SAX1 crash reproducerproof of concept · demonstrated
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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