CVE-2026-115506 (GCVE-0-2026-115506)

Vulnerability from cvelistv5 – Published: 2026-10-22 19:14 – Updated: 2026-10-22 19:14
VLAI
Title
libexpat through 2.9.0 Denial of Service via Billion Laughs Detection Delay
Summary
libexpat through 2.9.0 contains a denial of service vulnerability because billion laughs protection in accountingDiffTolerated() in xmlparse.c detects entity amplification too late. Attackers can supply a moderately sized XML document with a large DTD and nested entity expansions to consume tens of seconds of CPU per parse.
CWE
  • CWE-776 - Improper Restriction of Recursive Entity References in DTDs ('XML Entity Expansion')
Assigner
VulnCheck CNA under the mitre root
CNA scorecard B 84/100 over 6762 records in the last 180 days details
Impacted products
Vendor Product Version CPE status
libexpat libexpat Affected: 0 , ≤ 2.9.0 (semver)
    cpe:2.3:a:libexpat_project:libexpat:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
Create a notification for this product.
Date Public
2026-10-22 00:00
Show details on NVD website

{
  "containers": {
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        {
          "defaultStatus": "unaffected",
          "packageURL": "pkg:github/libexpat/libexpat",
          "product": "libexpat",
          "repo": "https://github.com/libexpat/libexpat",
          "vendor": "libexpat",
          "versions": [
            {
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              "status": "affected",
              "version": "0",
              "versionType": "semver"
            }
          ]
        }
      ],
      "cpeApplicability": [
        {
          "nodes": [
            {
              "cpeMatch": [
                {
                  "criteria": "cpe:2.3:a:libexpat_project:libexpat:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
                  "versionEndIncluding": "2.9.0",
                  "vulnerable": true
                }
              ],
              "negate": false,
              "operator": "OR"
            }
          ]
        }
      ],
      "credits": [
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          "type": "finder",
          "value": "Hanno B\u00f6ck"
        },
        {
          "lang": "en",
          "type": "remediation developer",
          "value": "Shani Yosef"
        }
      ],
      "datePublic": "2026-10-22T00:00:00.000Z",
      "descriptions": [
        {
          "lang": "en",
          "value": "libexpat through 2.9.0 contains a denial of service vulnerability because billion laughs protection in accountingDiffTolerated() in xmlparse.c detects entity amplification too late. Attackers can supply a moderately sized XML document with a large DTD and nested entity expansions to consume tens of seconds of CPU per parse."
        }
      ],
      "metrics": [
        {
          "cvssV4_0": {
            "attackComplexity": "LOW",
            "attackRequirements": "NONE",
            "attackVector": "NETWORK",
            "baseScore": 8.7,
            "baseSeverity": "HIGH",
            "privilegesRequired": "NONE",
            "subAvailabilityImpact": "NONE",
            "subConfidentialityImpact": "NONE",
            "subIntegrityImpact": "NONE",
            "userInteraction": "NONE",
            "vectorString": "CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N",
            "version": "4.0",
            "vulnAvailabilityImpact": "HIGH",
            "vulnConfidentialityImpact": "NONE",
            "vulnIntegrityImpact": "NONE"
          },
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            "baseSeverity": "HIGH",
            "confidentialityImpact": "NONE",
            "integrityImpact": "NONE",
            "privilegesRequired": "NONE",
            "scope": "UNCHANGED",
            "userInteraction": "NONE",
            "vectorString": "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H",
            "version": "3.1"
          },
          "format": "CVSS"
        }
      ],
      "problemTypes": [
        {
          "descriptions": [
            {
              "cweId": "CWE-776",
              "description": "Improper Restriction of Recursive Entity References in DTDs (\u0027XML Entity Expansion\u0027)",
              "lang": "en",
              "type": "CWE"
            }
          ]
        }
      ],
      "providerMetadata": {
        "dateUpdated": "2026-10-22T19:14:06.001Z",
        "orgId": "83251b91-4cc7-4094-a5c7-464a1b83ea10",
        "shortName": "VulnCheck"
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      "references": [
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          "tags": [
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            "issue-tracking"
          ],
          "url": "https://github.com/libexpat/libexpat/pull/1433"
        },
        {
          "tags": [
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          ],
          "url": "https://github.com/libexpat/libexpat/issues/1160"
        },
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          "url": "https://github.com/hannob/lololol"
        },
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          "tags": [
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          ],
          "url": "https://github.com/libexpat/libexpat"
        },
        {
          "name": "VulnCheck Advisory: libexpat through 2.9.0 Denial of Service via Billion Laughs Detection Delay",
          "tags": [
            "third-party-advisory"
          ],
          "url": "https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/libexpat-through-2.9.0-denial-of-service-via-billion-laughs-detection-delay"
        }
      ],
      "title": "libexpat through 2.9.0 Denial of Service via Billion Laughs Detection Delay",
      "x_generator": {
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      }
    }
  },
  "cveMetadata": {
    "assignerOrgId": "83251b91-4cc7-4094-a5c7-464a1b83ea10",
    "assignerShortName": "VulnCheck",
    "cveId": "CVE-2026-115506",
    "datePublished": "2026-10-22T19:14:06.001Z",
    "dateReserved": "2026-10-22T16:14:59.466Z",
    "dateUpdated": "2026-10-22T19:14:06.001Z",
    "state": "PUBLISHED"
  },
  "dataType": "CVE_RECORD",
  "dataVersion": "5.2",
  "vulnerability-lookup:meta": {
    "nvd": {
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        "affected": [
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                "packageURL": "pkg:github/libexpat/libexpat",
                "product": "libexpat",
                "repo": "https://github.com/libexpat/libexpat",
                "vendor": "libexpat",
                "versions": [
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                    "lessThanOrEqual": "2.9.0",
                    "status": "affected",
                    "version": "0",
                    "versionType": "semver"
                  }
                ]
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        ],
        "cveTags": [],
        "descriptions": [
          {
            "lang": "en",
            "value": "libexpat through 2.9.0 contains a denial of service vulnerability because billion laughs protection in accountingDiffTolerated() in xmlparse.c detects entity amplification too late. Attackers can supply a moderately sized XML document with a large DTD and nested entity expansions to consume tens of seconds of CPU per parse."
          }
        ],
        "id": "CVE-2026-115506",
        "lastModified": "2026-10-22T20:17:06.620",
        "metrics": {
          "cvssMetricV31": [
            {
              "cvssData": {
                "attackComplexity": "LOW",
                "attackVector": "NETWORK",
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                "baseSeverity": "HIGH",
                "confidentialityImpact": "NONE",
                "integrityImpact": "NONE",
                "privilegesRequired": "NONE",
                "scope": "UNCHANGED",
                "userInteraction": "NONE",
                "vectorString": "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H",
                "version": "3.1"
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              "impactScore": 3.6,
              "source": "disclosure@vulncheck.com",
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            }
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          "cvssMetricV40": [
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                "Automatable": "NOT_DEFINED",
                "Recovery": "NOT_DEFINED",
                "Safety": "NOT_DEFINED",
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                "attackRequirements": "NONE",
                "attackVector": "NETWORK",
                "availabilityRequirement": "NOT_DEFINED",
                "baseScore": 8.7,
                "baseSeverity": "HIGH",
                "confidentialityRequirement": "NOT_DEFINED",
                "exploitMaturity": "NOT_DEFINED",
                "integrityRequirement": "NOT_DEFINED",
                "modifiedAttackComplexity": "NOT_DEFINED",
                "modifiedAttackRequirements": "NOT_DEFINED",
                "modifiedAttackVector": "NOT_DEFINED",
                "modifiedPrivilegesRequired": "NOT_DEFINED",
                "modifiedSubAvailabilityImpact": "NOT_DEFINED",
                "modifiedSubConfidentialityImpact": "NOT_DEFINED",
                "modifiedSubIntegrityImpact": "NOT_DEFINED",
                "modifiedUserInteraction": "NOT_DEFINED",
                "modifiedVulnAvailabilityImpact": "NOT_DEFINED",
                "modifiedVulnConfidentialityImpact": "NOT_DEFINED",
                "modifiedVulnIntegrityImpact": "NOT_DEFINED",
                "privilegesRequired": "NONE",
                "providerUrgency": "NOT_DEFINED",
                "subAvailabilityImpact": "NONE",
                "subConfidentialityImpact": "NONE",
                "subIntegrityImpact": "NONE",
                "userInteraction": "NONE",
                "valueDensity": "NOT_DEFINED",
                "vectorString": "CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X",
                "version": "4.0",
                "vulnAvailabilityImpact": "HIGH",
                "vulnConfidentialityImpact": "NONE",
                "vulnIntegrityImpact": "NONE",
                "vulnerabilityResponseEffort": "NOT_DEFINED"
              },
              "source": "disclosure@vulncheck.com",
              "type": "Secondary"
            }
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        "published": "2026-10-22T20:17:06.620",
        "references": [
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            "url": "https://github.com/hannob/lololol"
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            "url": "https://github.com/libexpat/libexpat"
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            "source": "disclosure@vulncheck.com",
            "url": "https://github.com/libexpat/libexpat/issues/1160"
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          {
            "source": "disclosure@vulncheck.com",
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            "source": "disclosure@vulncheck.com",
            "url": "https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/libexpat-through-2.9.0-denial-of-service-via-billion-laughs-detection-delay"
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        "vulnStatus": "Received",
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            "type": "Primary"
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  }
}



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