Go to homepageCyberStrike

Menu

Star on GitHub · 3.2k
Sign inDownload

CVE-2008-3281

6.5 · MEDIUM

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 co…

Published Aug 27, 2008xmlsoftCWE-776EPSS 2.51%

Overview

CVE-2008-3281 is a medium-severity vulnerability affecting xmlsoft libxml2. It was published on August 27, 2008 and has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 6.5 (MEDIUM).

This vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 6.5, rated MEDIUM. It can be exploited remotely over the network. No authentication or special privileges are required for exploitation.

Technical 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.

Remediation

Check the references section for vendor advisories and patches from xmlsoft. Update libxml2 to the latest patched version. If immediate patching is not possible, review the CVSS vector to understand the attack surface and apply compensating controls such as network segmentation or access restrictions.

Affected products

VendorProductVersionsStatus
xmlsoftlibxml20Affected
applesafari>= 0, < 4.0Affected
appleiphone_os>= 1.0.0, < 3.0Affected

References

Reflists.apple.com/archives/security-announce/2009/Jun/msg00005.htmlReflists.apple.com/archives/security-announce/2009/jun/msg00002.htmlReflists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2008-09/msg00004.htmlReflists.vmware.com/pipermail/security-announce/2008/000039.htmlRefmail.gnome.org/archives/xml/2008-August/msg00034.htmlRefsecunia.com/advisories/31558Refsecunia.com/advisories/31566Refsecunia.com/advisories/31590Refsecunia.com/advisories/31728Refsecunia.com/advisories/31748

How CyberStrike helps

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2008-3281?

CVE-2008-3281 is a medium-severity vulnerability affecting xmlsoft libxml2. It was published on August 27, 2008 and has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 6.5 (MEDIUM).

How severe is CVE-2008-3281?

This vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 6.5, rated MEDIUM. It can be exploited remotely over the network. No authentication or special privileges are required for exploitation.

How do I fix or remediate CVE-2008-3281?

Check the references section for vendor advisories and patches from xmlsoft. Update libxml2 to the latest patched version. If immediate patching is not possible, review the CVSS vector to understand the attack surface and apply compensating controls such as network segmentation or access restrictions.

How can CyberStrike help with CVE-2008-3281?

CyberStrike is an open-source, AI-augmented pentesting engine. Rather than flag a version number, it tests whether an issue like CVE-2008-3281 is actually reachable in your own applications and APIs, then verifies each finding before reporting it. That tells you if the weakness is a real, exploitable risk in your environment or a false positive you can safely deprioritize.

Related MEDIUM CVEs from 2008

View all
Browse by year2026202520242023202220212020201920182017201620152014201320122011201020092008200720062005200420032002200120001999