CVE-2025-47816 is a vulnerability identified in the GNU PSPP software, specifically within the libpspp-core.a library up to version 2.0.1. The issue arises in the spvxml-helpers.c source file, in the function spvxml_parse_attributes, which is responsible for parsing XML attributes. The vulnerability is classified as a CWE-125: Out-of-bounds Read, meaning that the software reads data beyond the allocated buffer boundaries. This occurs when extra content is present at the end of an XML document being processed by PSPP. An attacker can craft a malicious XML document with additional unexpected content at the end, triggering the out-of-bounds read condition. Although this vulnerability does not allow direct control over the program flow or code execution, it can cause a denial of service by crashing the application or potentially leaking sensitive information from adjacent memory. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 2.9, indicating a low severity level. The vector indicates that the attack requires local access (AV:L), high attack complexity (AC:H), no privileges required (PR:N), no user interaction (UI:N), and impacts only availability (A:L) without affecting confidentiality or integrity. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no patches have been linked yet. The vulnerability is limited to local attackers who can supply crafted XML input to PSPP, a statistical analysis software used for processing data files and generating reports.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2025-47816 is generally limited due to the low severity and local attack vector. PSPP is primarily used in academic, research, and statistical analysis contexts, so organizations heavily reliant on statistical data processing could experience application crashes or service interruptions if exploited. This could disrupt data analysis workflows, delay reporting, and potentially cause loss of unsaved work. However, the vulnerability does not lead to data breaches or unauthorized data modification, reducing the risk to confidentiality and integrity. The requirement for local access means attackers need to have some level of system access or user privileges, limiting remote exploitation risks. Organizations with strict access controls and endpoint security will further reduce the likelihood of exploitation. Nevertheless, in environments where PSPP is integrated into automated data processing pipelines or shared systems, even a low-severity denial of service could have operational impacts.

To mitigate this vulnerability, European organizations should first monitor for official patches or updates from the GNU PSPP project and apply them promptly once available. In the absence of patches, organizations should restrict local access to systems running PSPP to trusted users only and enforce strict user privilege management to prevent unauthorized local code execution or file manipulation. Input validation and sanitization of XML documents before processing can help detect and reject malformed or malicious files containing extra content at the end. Additionally, running PSPP in a sandboxed or containerized environment can limit the impact of potential crashes. Regular backups of data and reports will minimize disruption from unexpected application failures. Organizations should also consider monitoring application logs for abnormal crashes or parsing errors indicative of attempted exploitation.