CVE-2025-9714: libxml2 — Fix

Description

Uncontrolled recursion in XPath evaluation in libxml2 up to and including version 2.9.14 allows a local attacker to cause a stack overflow via crafted expressions. XPath processing functions `xmlXPathRunEval`, `xmlXPathCtxtCompile`, and `xmlXPathEvalExpr` were resetting recursion depth to zero before making potentially recursive calls. When such functions were called recursively this could allow for uncontrolled recursion and lead to a stack overflow. These functions now preserve recursion depth across recursive calls, allowing recursion depth to be controlled.

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CVSS v3.1 Score

6.2

MEDIUM

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

Weakness Type (CWE)

CWE-674 CWE-674

Affected Products

Vendor	Product	Versions
xmlsoft	libxml2	< 2.10.0

References

Advisories & Patches

https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/libxml2/-/commit/677a42645ef22b5a50741bad5facf9d8a8bc6d21

Other References

https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/09/msg00035.html https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/html/ssa-577017.html

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2025-9714? +

Uncontrolled recursion in XPath evaluation in libxml2 up to and including version 2.9.14 allows a local attacker to cause a stack overflow via crafted expressions. XPath processing functions `xmlXPathRunEval`, `xmlXPathCtxtCompile`, and `xmlXPathEvalExpr` were resetting recursion depth to zero before making potentially recursive calls. When such functions were called recursively this could allow for uncontrolled recursion and lead to a stack overflow. These functions now preserve recursion depth across recursive calls, allowing recursion depth to be controlled. It has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 6.2 (MEDIUM).

How severe is CVE-2025-9714? +

CVE-2025-9714 has a CVSS v3.1 score of 6.2 out of 10, rated MEDIUM. This is a medium-severity vulnerability that should be remediated as part of regular maintenance.

What products are affected by CVE-2025-9714? +

CVE-2025-9714 affects products from xmlsoft, specifically: libxml2. Check the affected products table above for specific version ranges.

How do I check if I'm vulnerable to CVE-2025-9714? +

You can use Secably's free Website Scanner to check your website for known vulnerabilities. For infrastructure scanning, use the Port Scanner to identify exposed services that may be affected. Check the vendor advisories linked above for specific patch and version information.

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