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Libxml2Framework / library · Xmlsoft

CVE-2024-40896

CRITICAL · 9.1 CVSS v3.1 Published 2024-12-23
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 2.11.9 / 2.12.9 or later.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

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.

NVD · unedited
In libxml2 2.11 before 2.11.9, 2.12 before 2.12.9, and 2.13 before 2.13.3, the SAX parser can produce events for external entities even if custom SAX handlers try to override entity content (by setting "checked"). This makes classic XXE attacks possible.

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.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

A vulnerability in libxml2's SAX parser (versions 2.11 before 2.11.9, 2.12 before 2.12.9, and 2.13 before 2.13.3) allows external entity events to be processed even when custom SAX handlers attempt to override entity content by setting the 'checked' flag. This bypasses developer-implemented XXE protections and enables classic XML External Entity injection attacks.

MitigationUpgrade libxml2 to version 2.11.9, 2.12.9, 2.13.3, or later. If immediate upgrading is not feasible, audit XML parsing code to ensure external entity resolution is disabled in the SAX parser configuration.

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

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.

NVD · CPE data
Libxml2Framework / library
Affected:>= 2.11.0, < 2.11.9>= 2.12.0, < 2.12.9>= 2.13.0, < 2.13.3
Hci Compute NodeOperating system
Affected:all versions
Solidfire \& Hci Management NodeApplication
Affected:all versions
Solidfire \& Hci Storage NodeApplication
Affected:all versions
H300s FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
H410s FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
H500s FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
H700s FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions

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.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
High
Availability
High

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

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.

dbcve checks

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

  1. Identify libxml2 version on Linux/Unix systems
    Run 'xml2 --version' or 'pkg-config --modversion libxml-2.0' to retrieve the installed libxml2 library version
    Affected if The version falls within 2.11.0-2.11.8, 2.12.0-2.12.8, or 2.13.0-2.13.2 (vulnerable) or cannot be determined (assume vulnerable)
  2. Identify libxml2 version on Windows systems
    Check the file properties of 'libxml2.dll' in the system PATH or application directory, or run 'powershell (Get-Item C:\Windows\System32\libxml2.dll).VersionInfo'
    Affected if The version falls within the vulnerable ranges listed above or the DLL version cannot be determined
  3. Check if application uses Python lxml or bindings
    Run 'python -c "import lxml.etree; print(lxml.etree.LIBXML_VERSION)"' to identify the linked libxml2 version
    Affected if The reported version is within the vulnerable ranges
  4. Identify NetApp product firmware version
    For H300s, H410s, H500s, H700s firmware: access the NetApp support portal or run 'system node run -node * -command "sysconfig -a"' to retrieve the firmware version
    Affected if Any version is installed (NetApp advisories state all versions are affected)
  5. Audit SAX parser code for external entity handling
    Search codebase for 'xmlCreatePushParserCtxt' or 'xmlSAXUserParseFile' calls, then verify whether 'xmlSetExternalEntityLoader' or custom entity resolver is configured to block external entities
    Affected if Custom SAX handlers are implemented but external entity loading is not explicitly disabled (checked flag not honored)
  6. Verify XML parser configuration for XXE protection
    Inspect XML parsing code for flags such as 'XML_PARSE_NOENT', 'XML_PARSE_DTDLOAD', 'XML_PARSE_DTDATTR' - if these are present without explicit external entity blocking, the parser may be vulnerable
    Affected if The SAX parser processes XML with DTD support enabled and custom handlers attempt to block entities but the 'checked' flag is ignored

You are affected if libxml2 version is 2.11.0-2.11.8, 2.12.0-2.12.8, or 2.13.0-2.13.2, or if you use any version of the listed NetApp products, AND your application uses the SAX parser with custom handlers that rely on the 'checked' flag to block external entity expansion.

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

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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.

From vendor data
Upgrade available Upgrade to 2.11.9 / 2.12.9 / 2.13.3 or later
Fixed in 2.11.92.12.92.13.3
Interim mitigation

Upgrade libxml2 to version 2.11.9, 2.12.9, 2.13.3, or later. If immediate upgrading is not feasible, audit XML parsing code to ensure external entity resolution is disabled in the SAX parser configuration.

Fix this in Libxml2 Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing12.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
28.0 hours of engineering $4,760
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2024-40896 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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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
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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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