How severe is CVE-2017-5969?

CVE-2017-5969 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 4.7, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over local access with high attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.

Is CVE-2017-5969 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 3% (84th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2017-5969?

CVE-2017-5969 affects Xmlsoft Libxml2. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2017-5969?

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

When was CVE-2017-5969 published?

CVE-2017-5969 was published on 2017-04-11 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2017-5969

CVE-2017-5969 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Xmlsoft Libxml2 with a CVSS 3.x base score of 4.7. 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-476.

Key facts

Severity: Medium (CVSS 3.x base score 4.7)
CVSS v2: 2.6
EPSS exploit prediction: 3% (84th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-476
Affected product: Xmlsoft Libxml2
Published: 2017-04-11
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

libxml2 2.9.4, when used in recover mode, allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (NULL pointer dereference) via a crafted XML document. NOTE: The maintainer states "I would disagree of a CVE with the Recover parsing option which should only be used for manual recovery at least for XML parser.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2017-5969?: libxml2 2.9.4, when used in recover mode, allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (NULL pointer dereference) via a crafted XML document. NOTE: The maintainer states "I would disagree of a CVE with the Recover parsing option which should only be used for manual recovery at least for XML parser.
How severe is CVE-2017-5969?: CVE-2017-5969 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 4.7, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over local access with high attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.
Is CVE-2017-5969 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 3% (84th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2017-5969?: CVE-2017-5969 affects Xmlsoft Libxml2. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2017-5969?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2017-5969 published?: CVE-2017-5969 was published on 2017-04-11 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:xmlsoft:libxml2:2.9.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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