Local stack overflow via reset XPath recursion depth
Published Sep 10, 2025 · Updated May 12, 2026
Uncontrolled recursion in XPath evaluation in XMLSoft libxml2 2.9.14 and earlier allows local users to cause a stack overflow. The xmlXPathRunEval, xmlXPathCtxtCompile, and xmlXPathEvalExpr functions reset the recursion-depth counter before potentially recursive calls, defeating the depth limit. A local process must evaluate a crafted XPath expression; successful exploitation exhausts its stack and crashes that process.
Summary
What happened
Uncontrolled recursion in XPath evaluation in XMLSoft libxml2 2.9.14 and earlier allows local users to cause a stack overflow. The xmlXPathRunEval, xmlXPathCtxtCompile, and xmlXPathEvalExpr functions reset the recursion-depth counter before potentially recursive calls, defeating the depth limit. A local process must evaluate a crafted XPath expression; successful exploitation exhausts its stack and crashes that process.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2025-9714
- Published
- Sep 10, 2025
- Updated
- May 12, 2026
- Vendor
- XMLSoft
- Product
- libxml2
- Classifications
- CWE-674, T1499.004
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Sep 10, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- May 12, 2026Record 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 <2.10.0
- Affected versionversion=0 <2.12.7+dfsg+really2.9.14-0.4ubuntu0.3
- Affected versionversion=0 <2.9.10+dfsg-5ubuntu0.20.04.10+esm2
- Affected versionversion=0 <2.9.13+dfsg-1ubuntu0.9
- Affected versionversion=0 <2.9.14+dfsg-1.3ubuntu3.5
- Affected versionversion=0 <2.9.1+dfsg1-3ubuntu4.13+esm9
- Affected versionversion=0 <2.9.3+dfsg1-1ubuntu0.7+esm10
- Affected versionversion=0 <2.9.4+dfsg1-6.1ubuntu1.9+esm5
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
No public exploit references are available in this record.
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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