Stack-based buffer overflow in Libxml2 - CVE-2025-6170

Vulnerability identifier: #VU111224

CSH Severity: High

CVSS v4.0: CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:U/U:Amber

CVE-ID: CVE-2025-6170

CWE-ID: CWE-121

Exploitation vector: Remote access

Exploit availability: No public exploit available

Affected software:
Libxml2
LANTIME Operating System Firmware (LTOS)
Anolis OS
Red Hat Enterprise Linux for x86_64
Red Hat Enterprise Linux for IBM z Systems
Red Hat Enterprise Linux for Power, little endian
Red Hat Enterprise Linux for ARM 64
openEuler
Tenable Nessus
libxml2 (Red Hat package)
python3-libxml2
libxml2-devel
libxml2
libxml2-help
libxml2-debuginfo
libxml2-debugsource
python2-libxml2
libxml2-static
libxml2-doc

The vulnerability allows a remote attacker to execute arbitrary code on the target system.

The vulnerability exists due to a boundary error in xmllint Shell - shell.c. A remote attacker can pass specially crafted input to the application, trigger a stack-based buffer overflow and execute arbitrary code on the target system.

Successful exploitation of this vulnerability may result in complete compromise of vulnerable system.

Install updates from vendor's website.

• https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2372952
• https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/libxml2/-/issues/941
• https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/libxml2/-/merge_requests/321/diffs?commit_id=069bcda17d8194e9582c64dd4bc9dac99b015810