How severe is CVE-2008-4409?

CVE-2008-4409 has a CVSS 2.0 base score of 5.0, rated medium severity.

Is CVE-2008-4409 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 9% (94th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2008-4409?

CVE-2008-4409 primarily affects Xmlsoft Libxml2. In total, 2 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2008-4409?

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

When was CVE-2008-4409 published?

CVE-2008-4409 was published on 2008-10-03 and last updated on 2026-06-16.

CVE-2008-4409

CVE-2008-4409 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Xmlsoft Libxml2 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: 9% (94th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-399
Affected product: Xmlsoft Libxml2
Published: 2008-10-03
Last modified: 2026-06-16

Description

libxml2 2.7.0 and 2.7.1 does not properly handle "predefined entities definitions" in entities, which allows context-dependent attackers to cause a denial of service (memory consumption and application crash), as demonstrated by use of xmllint on a certain XML document, a different vulnerability than CVE-2003-1564 and CVE-2008-3281.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2008-4409?: libxml2 2.7.0 and 2.7.1 does not properly handle "predefined entities definitions" in entities, which allows context-dependent attackers to cause a denial of service (memory consumption and application crash), as demonstrated by use of xmllint on a certain XML document, a different vulnerability than CVE-2003-1564 and CVE-2008-3281.
How severe is CVE-2008-4409?: CVE-2008-4409 has a CVSS 2.0 base score of 5.0, rated medium severity.
Is CVE-2008-4409 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 9% (94th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2008-4409?: CVE-2008-4409 primarily affects Xmlsoft Libxml2. In total, 2 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2008-4409?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2008-4409 published?: CVE-2008-4409 was published on 2008-10-03 and last updated on 2026-06-16.

References

Affected products (2)

cpe:2.3:a:xmlsoft:libxml2:2.7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:xmlsoft:libxml2:2.7.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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Other CWE-399 (Resource Management Errors) vulnerabilities

CVE-2015-8104 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): The KVM subsystem in the Linux kernel through 4.2.6, and Xen 4.3.x through 4.6.x, allows guest OS users to cause a…
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…
CVE-2014-0560 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Use-after-free vulnerability in Adobe Reader and Acrobat 10.x before 10.1.12 and 11.x before 11.0.09 on Windows and OS…

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