CVE-2022-40303
7.5 · HIGHOverview
CVE-2022-40303 is a high-severity vulnerability affecting xmlsoft libxml2. It was published on November 23, 2022 and has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.5 (HIGH).
This vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.5, rated HIGH. It can be exploited remotely over the network. No authentication or special privileges are required for exploitation.
Technical Description
An issue was discovered in libxml2 before 2.10.3. When parsing a multi-gigabyte XML document with the XML_PARSE_HUGE parser option enabled, several integer counters can overflow. This results in an attempt to access an array at a negative 2GB offset, typically leading to a segmentation fault.
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
| Vendor | Product | Versions | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| xmlsoft | libxml2 | >= 0, < 2.10.3 | Affected |
| apple | ipados | >= 0, < 15.7.2 | Affected |
| apple | iphone_os | >= 0, < 15.7.2 | Affected |
| apple | macos | >= 11.0, < 11.7.2 | Affected |
| apple | tvos | >= 0, < 16.2 | Affected |
| apple | watchos | >= 0, < 9.2 | Affected |
References
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CVE-2022-40303?
CVE-2022-40303 is a high-severity vulnerability affecting xmlsoft libxml2. It was published on November 23, 2022 and has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.5 (HIGH).
How severe is CVE-2022-40303?
This vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.5, rated HIGH. It can be exploited remotely over the network. No authentication or special privileges are required for exploitation.
How do I fix or remediate CVE-2022-40303?
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-2022-40303?
CyberStrike's AI-powered security agents can automatically detect CVE-2022-40303 across your infrastructure using autonomous pentesting, DAST scanning, and HackBrowser. The platform continuously monitors for known vulnerabilities and provides actionable remediation guidance prioritized by real-world exploitability.
How CyberStrike Helps
AI agents map your attack surface to find vulnerabilities like this one.
Automated penetration testing that runs continuously, not just quarterly.
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Browser-based exploitation validates findings with real proof-of-concept.
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