CVE-2012-2921: Vulnerability in feedparser
Summary
CVE-2012-2921: feedparser denial of service vulnerability. Affects feedparser versions < 5.1.2. Fixed in 5.1.2. How to fix ↓
Also tracked for
- feedparser · Debian:11
The same CVE-2012-2921 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
Feedparser is a Python library used for parsing RSS and Atom feeds. It provides a convenient way to extract and process data from these types of feeds. However, versions before 5.1.2 are vulnerable to a moderate severity issue that can lead to a denial of service attack. This vulnerability arises from a flaw in handling XML ENTITY declarations in non-ASCII encoded documents.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in feedparser allows remote attackers to consume excessive memory, leading to a denial of service. By crafting a malicious XML ENTITY declaration in a non-ASCII encoded document, an attacker can trigger the vulnerability and cause the application to consume an excessive amount of memory. This can result in the application becoming unresponsive or crashing, impacting the availability of the service.
How To Fix
Minimum fixed version
5.1.2
This is the first release that contains the fix.
pip install --upgrade "feedparser==5.1.2"Tip — Not sure which version your app runs? Vulert can match this fix to it. Scan free →
Workaround
There is no known workaround for this vulnerability. It is necessary to update to the fixed version of feedparser to mitigate the risk.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the vulnerability in feedparser can be mitigated by updating to version 5.1.2 or later. This will ensure that the application is no longer susceptible to the memory consumption issue caused by the crafted XML ENTITY declaration. For further support on vulnerability remediation, please contact DevNack.com.
See every vulnerability recorded for feedparser →
FAQ
Feedparser is a Python library used for parsing RSS and Atom feeds. It allows developers to extract and process data from these types of feeds.
The vulnerability can lead to a denial of service attack by causing excessive memory consumption. This can result in the application becoming unresponsive or crashing.
To fix this vulnerability, update to feedparser version 5.1.2 or later.
No, there is no known workaround for this vulnerability. Updating to the fixed version is necessary.
You can find more information about this vulnerability in the official GitHub advisory: https://github.com/github/advisory-database/blob/main/advisories/github-reviewed/2018/07/GHSA-hjf3-r7gw-9rwg/GHSA-hjf3-r7gw-9rwg.json
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