expat: Little entropy used for hash initialization
Published Jun 16, 2016
7.5
HIGHCVSS 3.0
EPSS 6.54%
Description
The XML parser in Expat does not use sufficient entropy for hash initialization, which allows context-dependent attackers to cause a denial of service (CPU consumption) via crafted identifiers in an XML document. NOTE: this vulnerability exists because of an incomplete fix for CVE-2012-0876.
Affected products
No data.
Configuration 1
- 12.04
- 14.04
- 15.10
- 16.04
- 8.0
Configuration 2
- < 2.2.0
No data.
Red Hat Directory Server 8
expat
Under investigation
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5
expat
Will not fix
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5
firefox
Not affected
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5
thunderbird
Not affected
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5
xmlrpc-c
Will not fix
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5
xulrunner
Not affected
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
compat-expat1
Not affected
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
expat
Will not fix
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
firefox
Not affected
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
thunderbird
Not affected
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
xulrunner
Not affected
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
expat
Will not fix
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
firefox
Not affected
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
thunderbird
Not affected
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
xulrunner
Not affected
Red Hat JBoss Core Services
expat
Not affected
Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Application Platform 6
expat
Will not fix
Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Web Server 2
expat
Will not fix
Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Web Server 3
expat
Will not fix
| Product | Package | State | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Directory Server 8 | expat | Under investigation | n/a |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 | expat | Will not fix | n/a |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 | firefox | Not affected | n/a |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 | thunderbird | Not affected | n/a |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 | xmlrpc-c | Will not fix | n/a |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 | xulrunner | Not affected | n/a |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 | compat-expat1 | Not affected | n/a |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 | expat | Will not fix | n/a |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 | firefox | Not affected | n/a |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 | thunderbird | Not affected | n/a |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 | xulrunner | Not affected | n/a |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 | expat | Will not fix | n/a |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 | firefox | Not affected | n/a |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 | thunderbird | Not affected | n/a |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 | xulrunner | Not affected | n/a |
| Red Hat JBoss Core Services | expat | Not affected | n/a |
| Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Application Platform 6 | expat | Will not fix | n/a |
| Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Web Server 2 | expat | Will not fix | n/a |
| Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Web Server 3 | expat | Will not fix | n/a |
No package ranges for this CVE.
Remediation
No remediation recorded yet.
Metrics
No CVSS v4.0 score for this CVE.
No CVSS v3.1 score for this CVE.
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:N/A:C
This CVE is not in the KEV list.
No CISA SSVC assessment for this CVE yet.
Estimated probability of exploitation in the wild in the next 30 days (FIRST EPSS). As of Oct 2, 2026.
Score over time
2022–2026- EPSS v2
- EPSS v3
- EPSS v4
- EPSS v5
Percentile over time
- EPSS v2
- EPSS v3
- EPSS v4
- EPSS v5
Table of values (44 key points)
Flat stretches are collapsed; showing up to 120 newest points.
| Date | Score | Percentile | Model |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2, 2026 | 6.54% (0.06539) | 93.60th | v5 (v2026.06.15) |
| Jun 15, 2026 | 6.54% (0.06539) | 92.91th | v5 (v2026.06.15) |
| Mar 4, 2026 | 2.20% (0.02202) | 84.15th | v4 (v2025.03.14) |
| Mar 1, 2026 | 0.44% (0.00440) | 62.92th | v4 (v2025.03.14) |
| Feb 4, 2026 | 2.20% (0.02202) | 84.06th | v4 (v2025.03.14) |
| Feb 1, 2026 | 0.44% (0.00440) | 62.81th | v4 (v2025.03.14) |
| Jan 4, 2026 | 1.97% (0.01970) | 83.09th | v4 (v2025.03.14) |
| Jan 1, 2026 | 0.39% (0.00392) | 59.82th | v4 (v2025.03.14) |
| Dec 4, 2025 | 1.97% (0.01970) | 82.98th | v4 (v2025.03.14) |
| Dec 1, 2025 | 0.39% (0.00392) | 59.58th | v4 (v2025.03.14) |
| Nov 4, 2025 | 2.00% (0.01999) | 83.05th | v4 (v2025.03.14) |
| Nov 1, 2025 | 0.40% (0.00401) | 60.22th | v4 (v2025.03.14) |
| Oct 4, 2025 | 2.51% (0.02514) | 84.83th | v4 (v2025.03.14) |
| Oct 1, 2025 | 0.52% (0.00516) | 65.87th | v4 (v2025.03.14) |
| Sep 4, 2025 | 1.94% (0.01937) | 82.72th | v4 (v2025.03.14) |
| Sep 1, 2025 | 0.40% (0.00395) | 59.70th | v4 (v2025.03.14) |
| Aug 5, 2025 | 2.48% (0.02478) | 84.67th | v4 (v2025.03.14) |
| Aug 1, 2025 | 0.51% (0.00505) | 65.33th | v4 (v2025.03.14) |
| Jul 5, 2025 | 2.20% (0.02202) | 83.73th | v4 (v2025.03.14) |
| Jul 1, 2025 | 0.44% (0.00440) | 62.34th | v4 (v2025.03.14) |
| Jun 5, 2025 | 2.20% (0.02202) | 83.62th | v4 (v2025.03.14) |
| Jun 1, 2025 | 0.44% (0.00440) | 62.25th | v4 (v2025.03.14) |
| May 5, 2025 | 2.20% (0.02202) | 83.51th | v4 (v2025.03.14) |
| May 1, 2025 | 0.44% (0.00440) | 62.06th | v4 (v2025.03.14) |
| Apr 19, 2025 | 2.26% (0.02262) | 83.69th | v4 (v2025.03.14) |
| Apr 18, 2025 | 0.45% (0.00452) | 62.52th | v4 (v2025.03.14) |
| Apr 15, 2025 | 2.20% (0.02202) | 83.46th | v4 (v2025.03.14) |
| Apr 14, 2025 | 3.97% (0.03968) | 87.37th | v4 (v2025.03.14) |
| Apr 13, 2025 | 0.81% (0.00809) | 72.09th | v4 (v2025.03.14) |
| Apr 10, 2025 | 3.97% (0.03968) | 87.37th | v4 (v2025.03.14) |
| Apr 9, 2025 | 0.81% (0.00809) | 72.10th | v4 (v2025.03.14) |
| Mar 30, 2025 | 3.97% (0.03968) | 87.30th | v4 (v2025.03.14) |
| Mar 29, 2025 | 6.58% (0.06584) | 84.85th | v4 (v2025.03.14) |
| Mar 18, 2025 | 3.97% (0.03968) | 87.66th | v4 (v2025.03.14) |
| Mar 17, 2025 | 0.81% (0.00809) | 72.53th | v4 (v2025.03.14) |
| Dec 12, 2024 | 0.76% (0.00758) | 81.78th | v3 (v2023.03.01) |
| Jul 16, 2024 | 0.76% (0.00758) | 81.29th | v3 (v2023.03.01) |
| Feb 8, 2024 | 0.75% (0.00746) | 80.33th | v3 (v2023.03.01) |
| May 20, 2023 | 0.75% (0.00746) | 78.25th | v3 (v2023.03.01) |
| Apr 7, 2023 | 0.70% (0.00701) | 77.36th | v3 (v2023.03.01) |
| Mar 7, 2023 | 0.68% (0.00680) | 76.86th | v3 (v2023.03.01) |
| Mar 6, 2023 | 2.69% (0.02686) | 82.85th | v2 (v2022.01.01) |
| Apr 1, 2022 | 2.69% (0.02686) | 81.17th | v2 (v2022.01.01) |
| Feb 4, 2022 | 2.69% (0.02686) | 62.66th | v2 (v2022.01.01) |
References (17)
- http://www.debian.org/security/2016/dsa-3597 vendor-advisoryx_refsource_DEBIANThird Party Advisory
- http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2016/06/04/4 mailing-listx_refsource_MLISTMailing List
- http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2016/06/04/5 mailing-listx_refsource_MLISTMailing List
- http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/security-advisory/cpujul2018-4258247.html x_refsource_CONFIRMPatchThird Party Advisory
- http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/topics/security/bulletinjul2016-3090568.html x_refsource_CONFIRMThird Party Advisory
- http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/91159 vdb-entryx_refsource_BIDThird Party AdvisoryVDB Entry
- http://www.ubuntu.com/usn/USN-3010-1 vendor-advisoryx_refsource_UBUNTUThird Party Advisory
- https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2016-5300 Vendor Advisory
- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1343085 Issue Tracking
- https://kc.mcafee.com/corporate/index?page=content&id=SB10365 x_refsource_CONFIRM
- https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r58af02e294bd07f487e2c64ffc0a29b837db5600e33b6e698b9d696b%40%3Cissues.bookkeeper.apache.org%3E mailing-listx_refsource_MLIST
- https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/rf4c02775860db415b4955778a131c2795223f61cb8c6a450893651e4%40%3Cissues.bookkeeper.apache.org%3E mailing-listx_refsource_MLIST
- https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-5300
- https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/201701-21 vendor-advisoryx_refsource_GENTOOThird Party Advisory
- https://source.android.com/security/bulletin/2016-11-01.html x_refsource_CONFIRMThird Party Advisory
- https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2016-5300
- https://www.tenable.com/security/tns-2016-20 x_refsource_CONFIRMThird Party Advisory
Change history (0)
No recorded changes yet.