libxml2: NULL pointer dereference in xmlXPathCompOpEval() function in xpath.c
Published Jul 19, 2018
6.5
MEDIUMCVSS 3.1
EPSS 3.65%
Description
A NULL pointer dereference vulnerability exists in the xpath.c:xmlXPathCompOpEval() function of libxml2 through 2.9.8 when parsing an invalid XPath expression in the XPATH_OP_AND or XPATH_OP_OR case. Applications processing untrusted XSL format inputs with the use of the libxml2 library may be vulnerable to a denial of service attack due to a crash of the application.
Affected products
No data.
Configuration 1
- 12.04
- 14.04
- 16.04
- 18.04
- n/a
No data.
JBoss Core Services Apache HTTP Server 2.4.29 SP2
libxml2
Fixed · RHSA-2019:1543
Red Hat Ansible Tower 3.5 for RHEL 7
ansible-tower-35/ansible-tower:3.5.6-1
Fixed · RHBA-2020:1539
Red Hat Ansible Tower 3.6 for RHEL 7
ansible-tower-36/ansible-tower:3.6.4-1
Fixed · RHBA-2020:1540
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
libxml2-0:2.9.1-6.el7.4
Fixed · RHSA-2020:1190
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8
libxml2-0:2.9.7-7.el8
Fixed · RHSA-2020:1827
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8
libxml2-0:2.9.7-7.el8
Fixed · RHSA-2020:1827
Red Hat Virtualization 4 for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
cockpit-ovirt-0:0.13.10-1.el7ev
Fixed · RHBA-2020:1310
Red Hat Virtualization 4 for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
redhat-release-virtualization-host-0:4.3.9-2.el7ev
Fixed · RHBA-2020:1310
Red Hat Virtualization 4 for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
redhat-virtualization-host-0:4.3.9-20200324.0.el7_8
Fixed · RHBA-2020:1310
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5
libxml2
Will not fix
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
libxml2
Will not fix
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8
mingw-libxml2
Will not fix
Red Hat JBoss Web Server 3
libxml2
Not affected
| Product | Package | State | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| JBoss Core Services Apache HTTP Server 2.4.29 SP2 | libxml2 | Fixed | RHSA-2019:1543 |
| Red Hat Ansible Tower 3.5 for RHEL 7 | ansible-tower-35/ansible-tower:3.5.6-1 | Fixed | RHBA-2020:1539 |
| Red Hat Ansible Tower 3.6 for RHEL 7 | ansible-tower-36/ansible-tower:3.6.4-1 | Fixed | RHBA-2020:1540 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 | libxml2-0:2.9.1-6.el7.4 | Fixed | RHSA-2020:1190 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 | libxml2-0:2.9.7-7.el8 | Fixed | RHSA-2020:1827 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 | libxml2-0:2.9.7-7.el8 | Fixed | RHSA-2020:1827 |
| Red Hat Virtualization 4 for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 | cockpit-ovirt-0:0.13.10-1.el7ev | Fixed | RHBA-2020:1310 |
| Red Hat Virtualization 4 for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 | redhat-release-virtualization-host-0:4.3.9-2.el7ev | Fixed | RHBA-2020:1310 |
| Red Hat Virtualization 4 for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 | redhat-virtualization-host-0:4.3.9-20200324.0.el7_8 | Fixed | RHBA-2020:1310 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 | libxml2 | Will not fix | n/a |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 | libxml2 | Will not fix | n/a |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 | mingw-libxml2 | Will not fix | n/a |
| Red Hat JBoss Web Server 3 | libxml2 | Not affected | n/a |
No package ranges for this CVE.
Remediation
Red Hat statement
This issue affects the versions of libxml2 as shipped with Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5. Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 is now in Extended Life Phase of the support and maintenance life cycle. This issue is not currently planned to be addressed in future updates. For additional information, refer to the Red Hat Enterprise Linux Life Cycle: https://access.redhat.com/support/policy/updates/errata/. This issue affects the versions of libxml2 as shipped with Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6. Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 is now in Maintenance Support 2 Phase of the support and maintenance life cycle. This has been rated as having a security impact of Moderate, and is not currently planned to be addressed in future updates. For additional information, refer to the Red Hat Enterprise Linux Life Cycle: https://access.redhat.com/support/policy/updates/errata/. This issue affects the versions of libxml2 as shipped with Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7. Red Hat Product Security has rated this issue as having a security impact of Moderate. A future update may address this issue. For additional information, refer to the Issue Severity Classification: https://access.redhat.com/security/updates/classification/.
Metrics
No CVSS v4.0 score for this CVE.
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
1 other source (Red Hat) ▾
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:N/A:P
This CVE is not in the KEV list.
CISA SSVC (Vulnrichment)
Stakeholder-Specific Vulnerability Categorization from CISA ADP.
Exploitation
NoneAutomatable
NoTechnical Impact
PartialDecision
n/aAssessed Dec 3, 2025 · SSVC 2.0.3
Estimated probability of exploitation in the wild in the next 30 days (FIRST EPSS). As of Oct 2, 2026.
Score over time
2021–2026- EPSS v1
- EPSS v2
- EPSS v3
- EPSS v4
- EPSS v5
Percentile over time
- EPSS v1
- EPSS v2
- EPSS v3
- EPSS v4
- EPSS v5
Table of values (35 key points)
Flat stretches are collapsed; showing up to 120 newest points.
| Date | Score | Percentile | Model |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2, 2026 | 3.65% (0.03650) | 89.25th | v5 (v2026.06.15) |
| Jun 15, 2026 | 3.68% (0.03681) | 88.21th | v5 (v2026.06.15) |
| Apr 7, 2026 | 20.01% (0.20012) | 95.45th | v4 (v2025.03.14) |
| Mar 25, 2026 | 18.49% (0.18492) | 95.19th | v4 (v2025.03.14) |
| Mar 21, 2026 | 15.91% (0.15911) | 94.68th | v4 (v2025.03.14) |
| Dec 28, 2025 | 20.01% (0.20012) | 95.28th | v4 (v2025.03.14) |
| Dec 27, 2025 | 23.42% (0.23423) | 95.80th | v4 (v2025.03.14) |
| Oct 28, 2025 | 20.20% (0.20199) | 95.25th | v4 (v2025.03.14) |
| Oct 27, 2025 | 23.63% (0.23630) | 95.75th | v4 (v2025.03.14) |
| Oct 1, 2025 | 20.20% (0.20199) | 95.34th | v4 (v2025.03.14) |
| Sep 3, 2025 | 23.63% (0.23630) | 95.81th | v4 (v2025.03.14) |
| Aug 21, 2025 | 21.93% (0.21927) | 95.54th | v4 (v2025.03.14) |
| Aug 16, 2025 | 19.00% (0.19004) | 95.07th | v4 (v2025.03.14) |
| Apr 24, 2025 | 23.96% (0.23959) | 95.66th | v4 (v2025.03.14) |
| Apr 15, 2025 | 22.24% (0.22241) | 95.40th | v4 (v2025.03.14) |
| Apr 11, 2025 | 29.75% (0.29748) | 96.25th | v4 (v2025.03.14) |
| Mar 30, 2025 | 27.80% (0.27798) | 96.04th | v4 (v2025.03.14) |
| Mar 29, 2025 | 58.45% (0.58455) | 97.41th | v4 (v2025.03.14) |
| Mar 24, 2025 | 24.39% (0.24389) | 95.62th | v4 (v2025.03.14) |
| Mar 17, 2025 | 29.75% (0.29748) | 96.23th | v4 (v2025.03.14) |
| Jul 20, 2024 | 2.98% (0.02983) | 91.02th | v3 (v2023.03.01) |
| May 3, 2024 | 2.98% (0.02983) | 90.82th | v3 (v2023.03.01) |
| Mar 7, 2024 | 2.92% (0.02917) | 90.53th | v3 (v2023.03.01) |
| Dec 10, 2023 | 2.08% (0.02078) | 87.82th | v3 (v2023.03.01) |
| Jul 13, 2023 | 2.89% (0.02894) | 89.37th | v3 (v2023.03.01) |
| May 8, 2023 | 3.11% (0.03108) | 89.60th | v3 (v2023.03.01) |
| Mar 7, 2023 | 3.71% (0.03707) | 90.34th | v3 (v2023.03.01) |
| Mar 6, 2023 | 1.54% (0.01537) | 74.52th | v2 (v2022.01.01) |
| Feb 23, 2023 | 1.54% (0.01537) | 74.48th | v2 (v2022.01.01) |
| Apr 1, 2022 | 1.54% (0.01537) | 72.41th | v2 (v2022.01.01) |
| Feb 4, 2022 | 1.54% (0.01537) | 51.33th | v2 (v2022.01.01) |
| Feb 3, 2022 | 2.57% (0.02567) | 55.02th | v1 |
| Jan 6, 2022 | 2.57% (0.02567) | 54.58th | v1 |
| Sep 1, 2021 | 2.57% (0.02567) | 78.88th | v1 |
| Apr 14, 2021 | 2.57% (0.02567) | 0.00th | v1 |
References (15)
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2019:1543 vendor-advisoryx_refsource_REDHAT
- https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2018-14404 Vendor Advisory
- https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=901817 x_refsource_MISCMailing ListThird Party Advisory
- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1595985 x_refsource_MISCIssue TrackingThird Party Advisory
- https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-6qvp-r6r3-9p7h Advisory
- https://github.com/rubysec/ruby-advisory-db/blob/master/gems/nokogiri/CVE-2018-14404.yml
- https://github.com/sparklemotion/nokogiri/issues/1785
- https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/libxml2/issues/10 x_refsource_MISCVendor Advisory
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2018/09/msg00035.html mailing-listx_refsource_MLIST
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2020/09/msg00009.html mailing-listx_refsource_MLIST
- https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-14404
- https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20190719-0002 x_refsource_CONFIRM
- https://usn.ubuntu.com/3739-1 vendor-advisoryx_refsource_UBUNTUThird Party Advisory
- https://usn.ubuntu.com/3739-2 vendor-advisoryx_refsource_UBUNTUThird Party Advisory
- https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2018-14404
Change history (0)
No recorded changes yet.