Service hang via crafted XML character runs
Published Aug 1, 2024 · Updated Nov 3, 2025
Uncontrolled resource consumption in REXML before 3.3.3 allows attackers to hang XML-processing services with crafted XML. The XML parser spends excessive time processing documents containing long runs of whitespace and the delimiter sequences >] or ]>; upstream material does not identify the exact parser routine. Reachability requires an application to pass attacker-controlled XML to REXML, and the resulting impact is limited to availability.
Summary
What happened
Uncontrolled resource consumption in REXML before 3.3.3 allows attackers to hang XML-processing services with crafted XML. The XML parser spends excessive time processing documents containing long runs of whitespace and the delimiter sequences >] or ]>; upstream material does not identify the exact parser routine. Reachability requires an application to pass attacker-controlled XML to REXML, and the resulting impact is limited to availability.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2024-41123
- Published
- Aug 1, 2024
- Updated
- Nov 3, 2025
- Vendor
- libwww-perl
- Product
- REXML
- Classifications
- CWE-400, T1499.004
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Aug 1, 2024CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Nov 3, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=0 <3.3.3
- Affected versionversion=< 3.3.3
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.
Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
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Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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