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CVE-2008-3529: Xmlsoft Libxml2: Buffer overflow

CVE-2008-3529 has a CVSS v2 base score of 10.0 (the maximum on that scale) and affects Xmlsoft Libxml2, along with 5 other products in NVD’s configuration data. Per its scoring, it can be exploited over the network, without authentication. The scored impact on confidentiality, integrity and availability is the highest available.

Vulnerability description

Heap-based buffer overflow in the xmlParseAttValueComplex function in parser.c in libxml2 before 2.7.0 allows context-dependent attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) or execute arbitrary code via a long XML entity name.

Severity breakdown

CVSS v2.0 10.0: AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C

Access vector: Network. Exploitable remotely over the network.
Access complexity: Low. No special conditions are required.
Authentication: None. No authentication is needed.
Confidentiality impact: Complete. Total information disclosure.
Integrity impact: Complete. Total loss of integrity.
Availability impact: Complete. Total shutdown of the component.

Underlying weakness

CWE-119: Improper Restriction of Operations within the Bounds of a Memory Buffer

The product performs operations on a memory buffer, but it reads from or writes to a memory location outside the buffer's intended boundary.

Affected products

Xmlsoft Libxml2: before 2.7.0
Debian Linux: 4.0
Canonical Ubuntu Linux: 6.06; 7.04; 7.10; 8.04; 8.10; 9.04
Apple Safari: before 4.0; from 3.2.0 before 3.2.3
Apple Iphone OS: before 3.0
Apple Mac OS X: before 10.5.7; 10.5.7