CVE-2025-10911 is a use-after-free vulnerability identified in the libxslt library, specifically occurring during the parsing of XSL nodes. Libxslt is a widely used library for transforming XML documents using XSLT stylesheets. The vulnerability arises when the library dereferences pointers that have already been freed (expired pointers), which can lead to application crashes. The vulnerability is classified as an expired pointer dereference, a form of use-after-free bug, which typically results in memory corruption and instability. According to the CVSS 3.1 vector, the attack requires local access (AV:L), has low attack complexity (AC:L), does not require privileges (PR:N), but does require user interaction (UI:R). The scope is unchanged (S:U), and the impact affects availability only (A:H), with no confidentiality or integrity impact. This means an attacker can cause denial of service by crashing applications that use libxslt for XML transformations, such as those running on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no patches or mitigation links are provided yet. The vulnerability was published on September 25, 2025, and is rated medium severity with a CVSS score of 5.5. Given the nature of the vulnerability, it primarily threatens the stability and availability of services relying on libxslt, potentially disrupting business operations or automated workflows that process XML data.

For European organizations, the primary impact of CVE-2025-10911 is the potential for denial-of-service conditions in systems that utilize libxslt for XML transformations. This could affect web servers, middleware, and applications that process XML data, leading to service interruptions. Organizations in sectors such as finance, telecommunications, government, and critical infrastructure that rely on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 and libxslt may experience operational disruptions. While the vulnerability does not compromise confidentiality or integrity, the availability impact can still cause significant business continuity issues, especially in environments requiring high uptime and reliability. Additionally, the requirement for user interaction limits remote exploitation but does not eliminate risk in environments where users may process untrusted XML content. The lack of known exploits in the wild reduces immediate risk but does not preclude future exploitation attempts. European organizations should be aware that denial-of-service attacks can be leveraged as part of larger attack campaigns or to distract from other malicious activities.

To mitigate CVE-2025-10911, European organizations should: 1) Monitor for and apply security updates from Red Hat as soon as patches become available, as no patch links are currently provided. 2) Implement strict input validation and sanitization for XML and XSLT content, especially from untrusted sources, to reduce the likelihood of triggering the vulnerability. 3) Limit user interaction with untrusted XML files by restricting access and educating users about the risks of processing unknown XML content. 4) Employ application-level sandboxing or containerization to isolate processes using libxslt, minimizing the impact of potential crashes. 5) Monitor system logs and application behavior for signs of crashes or abnormal terminations related to XML processing. 6) Consider deploying runtime protection tools that can detect and prevent use-after-free exploits. 7) Review and update incident response plans to include scenarios involving denial-of-service caused by this vulnerability. These measures go beyond generic advice by focusing on controlling input sources, isolating vulnerable components, and preparing for availability impacts.