How severe is CVE-2008-2956?

CVE-2008-2956 has a CVSS 2.0 base score of 5.0, rated medium severity.

Is CVE-2008-2956 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (78th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2008-2956?

CVE-2008-2956 affects Pidgin. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2008-2956?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.

When was CVE-2008-2956 published?

CVE-2008-2956 was published on 2008-07-01 and last updated on 2026-06-16.

CVE-2008-2956

CVE-2008-2956 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Pidgin with a CVSS 2.0 base score of 5.0. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-399.

Key facts

Severity: Medium (CVSS 2.0 base score 5.0)
EPSS exploit prediction: 2% (78th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-399
Affected product: Pidgin
Published: 2008-07-01
Last modified: 2026-06-16

Description

Memory leak in Pidgin 2.0.0, and possibly other versions, allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (memory consumption) via malformed XML documents. NOTE: this issue has been disputed by the upstream vendor, who states: "I was never able to identify a scenario under which a problem occurred and the original reporter wasn't able to supply any sort of reproduction details."

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2008-2956?: Memory leak in Pidgin 2.0.0, and possibly other versions, allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (memory consumption) via malformed XML documents. NOTE: this issue has been disputed by the upstream vendor, who states: "I was never able to identify a scenario under which a problem occurred and the original reporter wasn't able to supply any sort of reproduction details."
How severe is CVE-2008-2956?: CVE-2008-2956 has a CVSS 2.0 base score of 5.0, rated medium severity.
Is CVE-2008-2956 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (78th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2008-2956?: CVE-2008-2956 affects Pidgin. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2008-2956?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2008-2956 published?: CVE-2008-2956 was published on 2008-07-01 and last updated on 2026-06-16.

References

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:pidgin:pidgin:2.0.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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Other CWE-399 (Resource Management Errors) vulnerabilities

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CVE-2015-0339 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Adobe Flash Player before 13.0.0.277 and 14.x through 17.x before 17.0.0.134 on Windows and OS X and before…
CVE-2015-0335 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Adobe Flash Player before 13.0.0.277 and 14.x through 17.x before 17.0.0.134 on Windows and OS X and before…
CVE-2015-0333 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Adobe Flash Player before 13.0.0.277 and 14.x through 17.x before 17.0.0.134 on Windows and OS X and before…
CVE-2014-4121 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 SP2, 3.5, 3.5.1, 4, 4.5, 4.5.1, and 4.5.2 does not properly parse internationalized…
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