CWE
399 776
Advisory Published
CVE Published
CVE Published
Updated

CVE-2008-3281

First published: Wed Aug 06 2008(Updated: )

libxml2 2.6.32 and earlier does not properly detect recursion during entity expansion in an attribute value, which allows context-dependent attackers to cause a denial of service (memory and CPU consumption) via a crafted XML document.

Credit: secalert@redhat.com secalert@redhat.com

Affected SoftwareAffected VersionHow to fix
Gnome Libxml2<=2.6.32
Gnome Libxml2=2.4.19
Gnome Libxml2=2.4.23
Gnome Libxml2=2.5.4
Gnome Libxml2=2.5.10
Gnome Libxml2=2.5.11
Gnome Libxml2=2.6.0
Gnome Libxml2=2.6.1
Gnome Libxml2=2.6.2
Gnome Libxml2=2.6.3
Gnome Libxml2=2.6.11
Gnome Libxml2=2.6.12
Gnome Libxml2=2.6.13
Gnome Libxml2=2.6.14
libxml2=2.4.19
libxml2=2.6.11
libxml2=2.6.13
libxml2=2.6.14
libxml2=2.6.2
libxml2<=2.6.32
libxml2=2.5.11
libxml2=2.6.1
libxml2=2.4.23
libxml2=2.6.12
libxml2=2.6.0
libxml2=2.5.4
libxml2=2.5.10
libxml2=2.6.3
Apple Mobile Safari<4.0
iOS>=1.0.0<3.0
Fedora=9
Ubuntu=6.06
Ubuntu=7.04
Ubuntu=7.10
Ubuntu=8.04
Debian=4.0
redhat enterprise Linux desktop=3.0
redhat enterprise Linux desktop=4.0
redhat enterprise Linux desktop=5.0
redhat enterprise Linux eus=4.7
redhat enterprise Linux eus=5.2
redhat enterprise Linux server=2.0
redhat enterprise Linux server=3.0
redhat enterprise Linux server=4.0
redhat enterprise Linux server=5.0
redhat enterprise Linux workstation=2.0
redhat enterprise Linux workstation=3.0
redhat enterprise Linux workstation=4.0
redhat enterprise Linux workstation=5.0
VMware ESX=2.5.4
VMware ESX=2.5.5
VMware ESX=3.0.2
VMware ESX=3.0.3

Never miss a vulnerability like this again

Sign up to SecAlerts for real-time vulnerability data matched to your software, aggregated from hundreds of sources.

Reference Links

Parent vulnerabilities

(Appears in the following advisories)

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the severity of CVE-2008-3281?

    CVE-2008-3281 is classified as a denial of service vulnerability due to excessive memory and CPU consumption.

  • How do I fix CVE-2008-3281?

    To fix CVE-2008-3281, upgrade libxml2 to version 2.6.33 or later.

  • What software is affected by CVE-2008-3281?

    Versions of libxml2 up to and including 2.6.32 are affected by CVE-2008-3281.

  • What type of attack does CVE-2008-3281 facilitate?

    CVE-2008-3281 allows attackers to launch denial of service attacks via specially crafted XML documents.

  • Is CVE-2008-3281 related to XML processing?

    Yes, CVE-2008-3281 is specifically related to improper recursion handling during XML entity expansion.

Contact

SecAlerts Pty Ltd.
132 Wickham Terrace
Fortitude Valley,
QLD 4006, Australia
info@secalerts.co
By using SecAlerts services, you agree to our services end-user license agreement. This website is safeguarded by reCAPTCHA and governed by the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. All names, logos, and brands of products are owned by their respective owners, and any usage of these names, logos, and brands for identification purposes only does not imply endorsement. If you possess any content that requires removal, please get in touch with us.
© 2025 SecAlerts Pty Ltd.
ABN: 70 645 966 203, ACN: 645 966 203