Stack Overflow Vulnerability in Expat Package: CVE-2024-8176
Summary
CVE-2024-8176: A stack overflow vulnerability exists in the libexpat library due to the way it handles recursive entity expansion in XML documents. Affects expat across 2 version ranges.
< 2.7.0-r0
< d068c3ff36fc6f4789988a09c69b434db757db53
Fixed in 2.7.0-r0. How to fix ↓
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Background
Expat is a widely used XML parsing library that provides a fast and efficient way to process XML documents. It is known for its simplicity and performance, making it a popular choice in various applications and systems. However, Expat is vulnerable to a stack overflow issue due to improper handling of recursive entity expansions in XML, which can lead to significant security risks.
Vulnerability Detail
A stack overflow vulnerability exists in the libexpat library due to the way it handles recursive entity expansion in XML documents. When parsing an XML document with deeply nested entity references, libexpat can be forced to recurse indefinitely, exhausting the stack space and causing a crash. This issue could lead to denial of service (DoS) or, in some cases, exploitable memory corruption, depending on the environment and library usage. The CVSS score for this vulnerability is 7.5, indicating a high severity level.
How To Fix
Minimum fixed version
2.7.0-r0
This is the first release that contains the fix.
sudo apk add --upgrade expatTip — Not sure which version your app runs? Vulert can match this fix to it. Scan free →
Workaround
As a temporary workaround, avoid processing XML documents with deeply nested entity references until the package is updated. This can help mitigate the risk of triggering the stack overflow vulnerability.
Conclusion
The stack overflow vulnerability in the Expat package (CVE-2024-8176) poses a significant risk to applications that rely on this XML parsing library. It is crucial to update to the latest patched version to ensure the security and stability of your applications. Additionally, using tools like Vulert can help monitor and manage vulnerabilities effectively.
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FAQ
CVE-2024-8176 is a vulnerability in the Expat XML parsing library that can lead to a stack overflow due to recursive entity expansion.
If your application uses the Expat library to parse XML documents, it may be susceptible to crashes or denial of service attacks due to this vulnerability.
Yes, a patched version of the Expat package is available. It is recommended to update to this version to mitigate the vulnerability.
As a temporary measure, avoid processing XML documents with deeply nested entity references until you can update the package.
You can use Vulert, which monitors and alerts for open-source vulnerabilities in real-time. You can check your application against this vulnerability using the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner.
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