CVE-2025-6170 is a stack-based buffer overflow vulnerability identified in the interactive shell of the xmllint command-line tool, which is commonly used for parsing XML files. The vulnerability arises when a user inputs an excessively long command into the interactive shell. Due to improper input size validation, the program fails to handle the input correctly, leading to a buffer overflow condition. This overflow can cause the xmllint process to crash, resulting in a denial of service. In rare configurations where modern memory protection mechanisms (such as stack canaries, ASLR, or DEP) are not present or are disabled, this vulnerability might be exploited to execute arbitrary code. However, exploitation is complicated by the need for local access (as the attack vector is local), high attack complexity, and the requirement for user interaction. The vulnerability affects Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10, which includes the vulnerable version of xmllint. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 2.5, indicating a low severity primarily due to limited impact on confidentiality and integrity, and the requirement for local access and user interaction. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild. The vulnerability does not affect confidentiality or integrity directly but impacts availability by causing application crashes. No patches or mitigation links are provided in the source information, suggesting that users should monitor vendor advisories for updates.

For European organizations, the primary impact of CVE-2025-6170 is potential denial of service on systems running Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 with the vulnerable xmllint tool. Since xmllint is often used in development, testing, and XML processing workflows, a crash could disrupt automated processes or manual operations relying on XML parsing. The risk of arbitrary code execution is low and limited to rare environments lacking modern protections, which are uncommon in enterprise deployments. Confidentiality and integrity of data are not directly compromised by this vulnerability. However, availability interruptions could affect critical systems if xmllint is integrated into production pipelines or security tools. Organizations with strict uptime requirements or those using xmllint in automated scripts should be aware of this risk. Given the low CVSS score and absence of known exploits, the immediate threat level is low, but organizations should remain vigilant and apply patches once available to prevent potential exploitation in less common configurations.

1. Monitor Red Hat security advisories closely for official patches or updates addressing CVE-2025-6170 and apply them promptly once released. 2. Restrict local access to systems running Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 to trusted users only, minimizing the risk of malicious input. 3. Disable or limit the use of the xmllint interactive shell in production environments, especially where user input cannot be fully controlled or sanitized. 4. Implement and enforce modern memory protection mechanisms such as stack canaries, Address Space Layout Randomization (ASLR), and Data Execution Prevention (DEP) to reduce the risk of successful exploitation. 5. Conduct regular security audits and code reviews of scripts and applications that invoke xmllint to ensure they do not pass untrusted or excessively long input to the tool. 6. Employ application whitelisting and endpoint protection solutions to detect and prevent abnormal process behavior that could indicate exploitation attempts. 7. Educate system administrators and users about the risks of executing untrusted commands in interactive shells and promote secure usage practices.