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libxml2 — security advisory

Type: advisorySources: OSVAdvisory ID: DEBIAN-CVE-2021-3517

There is a flaw in the xml entity encoding functionality of libxml2 in versions before 2.9.11. An attacker who is able to supply a crafted file to be processed by an application linked with the affected functionality of libxml2 could trigger an out-of-bounds read. The most likely impact of this flaw is to application availability, with some potential impact to confidentiality and integrity if an attacker is able to use memory information to further exploit the application.

Products
libxml2
Affected versions
Not specified
Fixed versions
2.9.10+dfsg-6.6
CVEs
CVE-2021-3517
Confirmed fixed CVEs
Not specified
Updated in this feed
30 Oct 2026, 16:54 UTC · Revision 1

Source evidence

DEBIAN-CVE-2021-3517

core-osv · Original source

Published 19 May 2021, 14:15 UTC

There is a flaw in the xml entity encoding functionality of libxml2 in versions before 2.9.11. An attacker who is able to supply a crafted file to be processed by an application linked with the affected functionality of libxml2 could trigger an out-of-bounds read. The most likely impact of this flaw is to application availability, with some potential impact to confidentiality and integrity if an attacker is able to use memory information to further exploit the application.

osv:DEBIAN-CVE-2021-3517

libxml2

Fixed versions: 2.9.10+dfsg-6.6

libxml2

Fixed versions: 2.9.10+dfsg-6.6

libxml2

Fixed versions: 2.9.10+dfsg-6.6

Complete source record
{
  "id": "e1f4f2ce235de295d87809f289f3703a0a4a57e4784fa41cbecf01d7fad299ad",
  "url": "https://osv.dev/vulnerability/DEBIAN-CVE-2021-3517",
  "method": "structured",
  "payload": {
    "kind": "advisory",
    "title": "DEBIAN-CVE-2021-3517",
    "summary": "There is a flaw in the xml entity encoding functionality of libxml2 in versions before 2.9.11. An attacker who is able to supply a crafted file to be processed by an application linked with the affected functionality of libxml2 could trigger an out-of-bounds read. The most likely impact of this flaw is to application availability, with some potential impact to confidentiality and integrity if an attacker is able to use memory information to further exploit the application.",
    "evidence": "osv:DEBIAN-CVE-2021-3517",
    "products": [
      {
        "name": {
          "value": "libxml2",
          "evidence": "/affected/0/package/name"
        },
        "prerequisites": [],
        "fixed_versions": [
          {
            "value": "2.9.10+dfsg-6.6",
            "evidence": "/affected/0/ranges"
          }
        ],
        "affected_versions": []
      },
      {
        "name": {
          "value": "libxml2",
          "evidence": "/affected/1/package/name"
        },
        "prerequisites": [],
        "fixed_versions": [
          {
            "value": "2.9.10+dfsg-6.6",
            "evidence": "/affected/1/ranges"
          }
        ],
        "affected_versions": []
      },
      {
        "name": {
          "value": "libxml2",
          "evidence": "/affected/2/package/name"
        },
        "prerequisites": [],
        "fixed_versions": [
          {
            "value": "2.9.10+dfsg-6.6",
            "evidence": "/affected/2/ranges"
          }
        ],
        "affected_versions": []
      }
    ],
    "severity": "high",
    "structured": {
      "id": "DEBIAN-CVE-2021-3517",
      "aliases": [
        "DEBIAN-CVE-2021-3517"
      ],
      "metrics": [
        {
          "type": "CVSS_V3",
          "score": "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:H"
        }
      ],
      "affected": [
        {
          "ranges": [
            {
              "type": "ECOSYSTEM",
              "events": [
                {
                  "introduced": "0"
                },
                {
                  "fixed": "2.9.10+dfsg-6.6"
                }
              ]
            }
          ],
          "package": {
            "name": "libxml2",
            "purl": "pkg:deb/debian/libxml2?arch=source&distro=bookworm",
            "ecosystem": "Debian:12"
          },
          "database_specific": {
            "source": "https://storage.googleapis.com/debian-osv/debian-cve-osv/DEBIAN-CVE-2021-3517.json"
          },
          "ecosystem_specific": {
            "urgency": "not yet assigned"
          }
        },
        {
          "ranges": [
            {
              "type": "ECOSYSTEM",
              "events": [
                {
                  "introduced": "0"
                },
                {
                  "fixed": "2.9.10+dfsg-6.6"
                }
              ]
            }
          ],
          "package": {
            "name": "libxml2",
            "purl": "pkg:deb/debian/libxml2?arch=source&distro=trixie",
            "ecosystem": "Debian:13"
          },
          "database_specific": {
            "source": "https://storage.googleapis.com/debian-osv/debian-cve-osv/DEBIAN-CVE-2021-3517.json"
          },
          "ecosystem_specific": {
            "urgency": "not yet assigned"
          }
        },
        {
          "ranges": [
            {
              "type": "ECOSYSTEM",
              "events": [
                {
                  "introduced": "0"
                },
                {
                  "fixed": "2.9.10+dfsg-6.6"
                }
              ]
            }
          ],
          "package": {
            "name": "libxml2",
            "purl": "pkg:deb/debian/libxml2?arch=source&distro=forky",
            "ecosystem": "Debian:14"
          },
          "database_specific": {
            "source": "https://storage.googleapis.com/debian-osv/debian-cve-osv/DEBIAN-CVE-2021-3517.json"
          },
          "ecosystem_specific": {
            "urgency": "not yet assigned"
          }
        }
      ],
      "modified": "2026-10-15T09:47:44.060093244Z",
      "provider": "osv",
      "upstream": [
        "CVE-2021-3517"
      ],
      "references": [
        "https://security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2021-3517"
      ]
    },
    "related_cves": [
      {
        "value": "CVE-2021-3517",
        "evidence": "/upstream"
      }
    ],
    "security_relevant": true,
    "severity_evidence": "/severity/0/score"
  },
  "source_id": "core-osv",
  "document_id": 328558,
  "published_at": "2021-05-19T14:15:07.553+00:00"
}