ChromeWeb browser · Google

CVE-2012-5134

MEDIUM · 6.8 CVSS v2.0 Published 2012-11-28

Fix available

A fix is available. Upgrade to after 23.0.1271.89 or later.

See remediation →

77/100

Remediation priority · High

Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

Official description

NVD · unedited

Heap-based buffer underflow in the xmlParseAttValueComplex function in parser.c in libxml2 2.9.0 and earlier, as used in Google Chrome before 23.0.1271.91 and other products, allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service or possibly execute arbitrary code via crafted entities in an XML document.

Technical summary

dbcve analysis · high confidence

Heap-based buffer underflow in the xmlParseAttValueComplex function in parser.c in libxml2 2.9.0 and earlier allows remote attackers to cause denial of service or possibly execute arbitrary code via crafted entities in an XML document.

MitigationUpdate libxml2 to version 2.9.1 or later to obtain the security patch. For applications embedding libxml2, ensure the patched library is recompiled and re-linked, then validate XML parsing functionality in testing.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions

NVD · CPE data

ChromeWeb browser

Affected:<= 23.0.1271.89= 23.0.1271.0= 23.0.1271.1= 23.0.1271.2= 23.0.1271.3= 23.0.1271.4= 23.0.1271.5= 23.0.1271.6= 23.0.1271.7= 23.0.1271.8= 23.0.1271.10= 23.0.1271.11

Libxml2Framework / library

Affected:<= 2.9.0= 1.7.0= 1.7.1= 1.7.2= 1.7.3= 1.7.4= 1.8.0= 1.8.1= 1.8.2= 1.8.3= 1.8.4= 1.8.5

Iphone OsOperating system

Affected:<= 6.1.4= 1.0.0= 1.0.1= 1.0.2= 1.1.0= 1.1.1= 1.1.2= 1.1.3= 1.1.4= 1.1.5= 2.0= 2.0.0

CVSS breakdown

From the vector

Attack vector: Network
Complexity: M
Authentication: None
Confidentiality: Partial
Integrity: Partial
Availability: Partial

AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P

Am I affected?

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

Identify libxml2 version

Run 'xml2 --version' or 'xmllint --version' to see the installed libxml2 version. On Linux, also check '/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libxml2.so.2' or similar path for the library file and its version. For Windows, check the properties of libxml2.dll.

Affected if The version is 2.9.0 or earlier, or falls within the 1.7.x or 1.8.x series listed in affected versions.
Check if XML parsing with entities is used

Review application code or configuration for XML parsing that processes external or internal entities. Look for usage of xmlParseAttValueComplex or general XML parsing functions like xmlParseDoc, xmlReadFile, or xmlReadMemory.

Affected if The application parses XML documents containing entity references (either custom DTD entities or external entities) and uses a vulnerable libxml2 version.
Verify Chrome version if applicable

In Chrome, go to chrome://settings/help or use 'Google Chrome' menu > 'About Google Chrome' to view the version number.

Affected if Google Chrome version is 23.0.1271.89 or earlier, or matches any of the specific 23.0.1271.x versions listed.
Check iOS version for embedded libxml2

Go to Settings > General > About on the iOS device to view the iOS version.

Affected if iOS version is 6.1.4 or earlier, or matches any of the specific iOS versions listed (1.0.0 through 2.0).

You are affected if your system runs a vulnerable libxml2 version (2.9.0 or earlier, or 1.7.x/1.8.x series) or uses affected Chrome/iOS versions, AND processes XML documents that could contain crafted entity definitions.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Remediation

From vendor data

Upgrade available Upgrade to a release after 23.0.1271.89

Interim mitigation

Update libxml2 to version 2.9.1 or later to obtain the security patch. For applications embedding libxml2, ensure the patched library is recompiled and re-linked, then validate XML parsing functionality in testing.

Fix this in Chrome Scoped from the published advisory

Consultation2.0 h
Implementation2.0 h
Testing4.0 h
Review / QA2.0 h

10.0 hours of engineering $1,720

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Scan for this in your stack

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References

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2012-5134 in production — separate from our analysis above.

Notes0 Guidelines

Know something about CVE-2012-5134?

The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.

The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
A config change or rule that shut the vector down
A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon

No notes yet

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here

Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data

At a glance

A fix existsUpgrade to after 23.0.1271.89 or later

Severity 6.8 Medium

Exploit likelihood EPSS, next 30 days 4.4%

Affects: Chrome

Remediation

A high-priority fix

Fix this in Chrome 10 hrs · Moderate

Typical engagement from $1,720

Get a fix See the full breakdown ↓

A high-priority vulnerability. Send your environment and a specialist will scope CVE-2012-5134 and return a fixed quote and timeline.

You’ll deal with our team directly and deploy the reviewed fix to staging first — never straight to production.

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

Check your environment

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

Scan for this in your stack

References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Practitioner notes

No notes yet

Official description

Technical summary

Affected products & versions

CVSS breakdown

Am I affected?

Remediation

References