How severe is CVE-2023-29469?

CVE-2023-29469 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 6.5, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.

Is CVE-2023-29469 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (59th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2023-29469?

CVE-2023-29469 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-2023-29469?

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

When was CVE-2023-29469 published?

CVE-2023-29469 was published on 2023-04-24 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2023-29469

CVE-2023-29469 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Xmlsoft Libxml2 with a CVSS 3.x base score of 6.5. 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-415.

Key facts

Severity: Medium (CVSS 3.x base score 6.5)
EPSS exploit prediction: 1% (59th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-415
Affected product: Xmlsoft Libxml2
Published: 2023-04-24
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

An issue was discovered in libxml2 before 2.10.4. When hashing empty dict strings in a crafted XML document, xmlDictComputeFastKey in dict.c can produce non-deterministic values, leading to various logic and memory errors, such as a double free. This behavior occurs because there is an attempt to use the first byte of an empty string, and any value is possible (not solely the '\0' value).

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2023-29469?: An issue was discovered in libxml2 before 2.10.4. When hashing empty dict strings in a crafted XML document, xmlDictComputeFastKey in dict.c can produce non-deterministic values, leading to various logic and memory errors, such as a double free. This behavior occurs because there is an attempt to use the first byte of an empty string, and any value is possible (not solely the '\0' value).
How severe is CVE-2023-29469?: CVE-2023-29469 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 6.5, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.
Is CVE-2023-29469 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (59th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2023-29469?: CVE-2023-29469 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-2023-29469?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2023-29469 published?: CVE-2023-29469 was published on 2023-04-24 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (2)

cpe:2.3:a:xmlsoft:libxml2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:10.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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