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CVE-2012-6702· NVD / CVE Program· CNA microfocus

Expat, when used in a parser that has not called XML_SetHashSalt or passed it a seed of 0, makes it easier for context-dependent attackers t

Expat, when used in a parser that has not called XML_SetHashSalt or passed it a seed of 0, makes it easier for context-dependent attackers to defeat cryptographic protection mechanisms via vectors involving use of the srand function.

MediumCVSS 5.9 · v3.0—No exploit Fix available
Published
Jun 16, 2016
Updated
Jun 16, 2026
EPSS
2.4% · 83th percentile
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Report tools

JSON

Action score

24

Monitor

Low priority for now.

CVSS
23 / 40 · 5.9 / 10
CISA KEV
0 / 30 · Not listed
EPSS
1 / 30 · 2.4%

Affected systems

VendorProduct
libexpat projectlibexpat
canonicalubuntu linux
debiandebian linux
googleandroid

Affected versions

NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.

  • canonical ubuntu linux12.04
  • canonical ubuntu linux14.04
  • canonical ubuntu linux15.10
  • canonical ubuntu linux16.04
  • debian debian linux8.0
  • google android4.4.4
  • google android5.0.2
  • google android5.1.1
  • google android6.0
  • google android6.0.1
  • libexpat project libexpatbefore 2.2.0

Package-level exposure

OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.

EcosystemPackageAffected rangeFix
Alpine:v3.2expatbefore 2.2.0-r02.2.0-r0
Debian:12expatbefore 2.1.1-32.1.1-3
Debian:12libxmltokall versions—
Debian:7expatbefore 2.1.0-1+deb7u42.1.0-1+deb7u4
Debian:8expatbefore 2.1.0-6+deb8u32.1.0-6+deb8u3
openSUSE:Tumbleweedexpatbefore 2.2.0-3.12.2.0-3.1
SUSE:Linux Enterprise Desktop 12 SP1expatbefore 2.1.0-20.22.1.0-20.2
SUSE:Linux Enterprise Software Development Kit 11 SP4expatbefore 2.0.1-88.41.12.0.1-88.41.1

Other highest-scoring records for the same primary product.

  • CVE-2022-25236xmlparse.c in Expat (aka libexpat) before 2.4.5 allows attackers to insert namespace-separator characters into namespace URIs.
    50Plan
  • CVE-2022-25315In Expat (aka libexpat) before 2.4.5, there is an integer overflow in storeRawNames.
    40Plan
  • CVE-2022-25235xmltok_impl.c in Expat (aka libexpat) before 2.4.5 lacks certain validation of encoding, such as checks for whether a UTF-8 character is val
    40Plan
  • CVE-2022-23852Expat (aka libexpat) before 2.4.4 has a signed integer overflow in XML_GetBuffer, for configurations with a nonzero XML_CONTEXT_BYTES.
    40Plan
  • CVE-2022-22824defineAttribute in xmlparse.c in Expat (aka libexpat) before 2.4.3 has an integer overflow.
    40Plan
  • CVE-2022-22823build_model in xmlparse.c in Expat (aka libexpat) before 2.4.3 has an integer overflow.
    40Plan

Remediation

Which version to upgrade to

Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.

Product / packageFixed versionSource
alpine:expat2.2.0-r0 · Alpine:v3.2Package registry (OSV)
debian:expat2.1.1-3 · Debian:12Package registry (OSV)
opensuse:expat2.2.0-3.1 · openSUSE:TumbleweedPackage registry (OSV)
suse:expat2.0.1-88.41.1 · SUSE:Linux Enterprise Software Development Kit 11 SP4Package registry (OSV)

Exploit status

No known public exploit

No public exploit has been observed yet. That doesn't mean you're safe, only that the bar is a little higher.

Research context

For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.

Timeline

From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.

No dated events beyond publication.

EPSS, last 120 days

FIRST EPSS daily score; only changes of 0.01 or more are recorded (step chart).

Patch and commit links

Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.

No commit or PR link among the references.

Finders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.

No credits in the CNA record.

Variant candidates

Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.

No nightly-computed relations.

Chain candidates

An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.

—

Bug bounty scope

No known public program.

Source: bounty-targets-data (public HackerOne, Bugcrowd, Intigriti, YesWeHack listings).

Technical details

Attack conditions

  • Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it.
  • No account or password is required.
  • No user action is required.
  • Special conditions such as timing or configuration are required.

If successful

Confidentiality
none
Integrity
high · data or configuration can be modified
Availability
none
Attack vector
Network
Attack complexity
High
Privileges required
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality impact
None
Integrity impact
High
Availability impact
None

CVSS vector

CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N

nvd-primary

Attack context

MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.

MITRE has no CAPEC/ATT&CK mapping for this CWE.

Noroxi analysis

No Noroxi analysis for this record yet

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Change log

  1. Fix✗ → ✓

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References

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