CVE-2012-0881: Denial of Service in Apache Xerces2

xerces:xercesImpl Updated 02 Oct 2025

Summary

15/06/2020

Disclosed on

CVE-2012-0881

CVE

Yes i

Fix available

High

Severity

7.5

CVSS Score

CVE-2012-0881: Denial of service in Apache Xerces2. Affects xerces:xercesImpl versions < 2.12.0. Fixed in 2.12.0. How to fix ↓

Also tracked for

libxerces2-java · Debian:11

The same CVE-2012-0881 is tracked separately for each ecosystem and vendor. Its fix information is the same; the package and affected versions differ.

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Background

Apache Xerces2 is a Java Parser that provides functionality for parsing, validating, and manipulating XML documents. It is widely used in various applications and frameworks. The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-0881 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service by exploiting hash table collisions in the XML service. This can result in excessive CPU consumption, leading to degraded performance or unresponsiveness of the affected system.

Vulnerability Detail

The vulnerability in Apache Xerces2 arises from a flaw in the handling of XML messages. By sending a specially crafted message to an XML service, an attacker can trigger hash table collisions. This causes the XML service to consume excessive CPU resources, leading to a denial of service condition. The impact of this vulnerability can be severe, as it can render the affected system unresponsive or significantly degrade its performance. The vulnerability has been assigned a CVSS score of 7.5, indicating a high severity level.

How To Fix

Minimum fixed version

2.12.0

This is the first release that contains the fix.

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Workaround

There is no known workaround for this vulnerability. It is essential to update the Apache Xerces2 Java Parser to the fixed version as soon as possible.

Conclusion

The CVE-2012-0881 vulnerability in Apache Xerces2 Java Parser can lead to a denial of service condition due to hash table collisions. To mitigate this vulnerability, it is crucial to update the Apache Xerces2 Java Parser to version 2.12.0 or later. This update includes a fix for the hash table collision issue, preventing the exploitation of this vulnerability. For further assistance and support in vulnerability remediation, please contact DevNack.com.

See every vulnerability recorded for xerces:xercesImpl →