How severe is CVE-2016-4472?

CVE-2016-4472 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.1, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with high attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2016-4472 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 12% (96th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2016-4472?

CVE-2016-4472 primarily affects Libexpat Project Libexpat. In total, 4 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2016-4472?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.

When was CVE-2016-4472 published?

CVE-2016-4472 was published on 2016-06-30 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2016-4472

CVE-2016-4472 is a high-severity vulnerability in Libexpat Project Libexpat with a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.1. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score of 12% places it in the 96th percentile, indicating an elevated likelihood of exploitation. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-119.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 8.1)
CVSS v2: 6.8
EPSS exploit prediction: 12% (96th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-119
Affected product: Libexpat Project Libexpat
Published: 2016-06-30
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

The overflow protection in Expat is removed by compilers with certain optimization settings, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) or possibly execute arbitrary code via crafted XML data. NOTE: this vulnerability exists because of an incomplete fix for CVE-2015-1283 and CVE-2015-2716.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2016-4472?: The overflow protection in Expat is removed by compilers with certain optimization settings, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) or possibly execute arbitrary code via crafted XML data. NOTE: this vulnerability exists because of an incomplete fix for CVE-2015-1283 and CVE-2015-2716.
How severe is CVE-2016-4472?: CVE-2016-4472 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.1, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with high attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2016-4472 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 12% (96th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2016-4472?: CVE-2016-4472 primarily affects Libexpat Project Libexpat. In total, 4 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2016-4472?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2016-4472 published?: CVE-2016-4472 was published on 2016-06-30 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (4)

cpe:2.3:a:libexpat_project:libexpat:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:12.04:*:*:*:-:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:mcafee:policy_auditor:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:python:python:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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CVE-2022-27624 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): A vulnerability regarding improper restriction of operations within the bounds of a memory buffer is found in the…
CVE-2020-11896 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): The Treck TCP/IP stack before 6.0.1.66 allows Remote Code Execution, related to IPv4 tunneling.

Browse all CWE-119 (Improper Restriction of Operations within the Bounds of a Memory Buffer) vulnerabilities →

Threat intelligence

Threat-intel indicators referencing this CVE:

203.192.232.180 (ipv4-addr)
177.53.215.134 (ipv4-addr)
5.99.196.202 (ipv4-addr)
121.164.135.251 (ipv4-addr)
120.224.15.67 (ipv4-addr)
222.88.237.152 (ipv4-addr)