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VulnerabilityPublished Updated

CVE-2024-23807: Apache Xerces C++ · Use After Free

Affects Apache Xerces C++Source CVE Database V5

0

Mentioned vulnerabilities

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 8.1 High · fixed in 3.2.5 : patch Apache Xerces C++ soon.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 10:12 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score
8.1High
How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.
EPSS
1.4% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 73% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
Patch
Available – fixed in 3.2.5
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Exploitation evidence

  1. Disclosed: evidence found.

    CVE published 28 Feb 2024

  2. Detectable: no evidence on record.

    No public nuclei template indexed

  3. Weaponised: no evidence on record.

    No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB

  4. Exploited in the wild: no evidence on record.

    Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation

  5. Observed by OffSeq Mirage: no evidence on record.

    No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors

A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 26 Oct 2026.

What to do

Affected software

ProductAffectedFixed in
GitHubapache/xerces-cpkg:github/apache/xerces-cOther threatsAffected
  • =3.0.0
Fixed in–

Check your own hosts for these packages with threat-finder (opens in a new tab), our free open-source scanner.

AI-suggested

European organizations should immediately assess their use of Apache Xerces C++ and identify any systems running affected versions prior to 3.2.5. The primary mitigation is to upgrade all affected instances to version 3.2.5 or later, which contains the official fix. If upgrading is not immediately feasible, organizations should disable DTD processing to prevent exploitation; this can be done by configuring the DOM parser to disable DTD features or setting the XERCES_DISABLE_DTD environment variable for SAX parsers. Additionally, organizations should implement network-level protections such as input validation and XML schema validation to reject malicious XML documents before parsing. Monitoring and logging XML parsing errors and unusual application behavior can help detect exploitation attempts. Security teams should also review and update incident response plans to address potential exploitation scenarios. Finally, vendors embedding Apache Xerces C++ in their products should be engaged to ensure timely patching and mitigation.

Description

The Apache Xerces C++ XML parser on versions 3.0.0 before 3.2.5 contains a use-after-free error triggered during the scanning of external DTDs. Users are recommended to upgrade to version 3.2.5 which fixes the issue, or mitigate the issue by disabling DTD processing. This can be accomplished via the DOM using a standard parser feature, or via SAX using the XERCES_DISABLE_DTD environment variable. This issue has been disclosed before as CVE-2018-1311, but unfortunately that advisory incorrectly stated the issue would be fixed in version 3.2.3 or 3.2.4.

References

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