CVE-2025-6170 identifies a stack-based buffer overflow vulnerability in the interactive shell component of the xmllint command-line tool, which is used for parsing XML files. The vulnerability occurs because the program does not properly validate the length of user input commands, allowing an excessively long input to overflow the stack buffer. This overflow can cause the xmllint process to crash, resulting in a denial of service condition. In rare scenarios where systems lack modern memory protection mechanisms such as stack canaries, ASLR (Address Space Layout Randomization), and DEP (Data Execution Prevention), an attacker might leverage this overflow to execute arbitrary code. However, exploitation is complicated by the requirement for local access, high attack complexity, and the need for user interaction to input commands into the interactive shell. The vulnerability affects Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10, a widely used enterprise-grade Linux distribution. Currently, there are no known exploits in the wild, and no patches have been linked yet, indicating that the issue is newly discovered and published. The CVSS v3.1 score is 2.5, reflecting low severity due to limited impact on confidentiality and integrity, and the primary effect being availability through application crashes. The vulnerability is classified as low risk but should be addressed to prevent potential denial of service and to mitigate any rare scenarios of code execution.

For European organizations, the primary impact of CVE-2025-6170 is a potential denial of service caused by crashes of the xmllint interactive shell. This could disrupt automated XML processing workflows or administrative tasks relying on xmllint, potentially affecting system stability or availability of services that depend on XML parsing. The risk of arbitrary code execution is minimal and limited to rare configurations without modern memory protections, which are uncommon in enterprise environments. Confidentiality and integrity of data are not directly affected by this vulnerability. Organizations running Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 in critical infrastructure, financial services, or government sectors could face operational disruptions if xmllint is used interactively and exposed to untrusted users. However, the requirement for local access and user interaction limits the attack surface. Overall, the threat is low but should be mitigated to maintain operational continuity and security hygiene.

1. Apply official patches from Red Hat as soon as they become available to address the buffer overflow in xmllint. 2. Restrict access to systems running Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 to trusted users only, minimizing the risk of local exploitation. 3. Limit or disable the use of the xmllint interactive shell in environments where it is not necessary, favoring non-interactive XML parsing methods. 4. Employ system-wide security features such as stack canaries, ASLR, and DEP to reduce the likelihood of successful exploitation. 5. Monitor system logs for crashes or unusual behavior related to xmllint usage to detect potential exploitation attempts. 6. Educate system administrators about the vulnerability and safe usage practices for command-line tools handling untrusted input. 7. Implement strict user privilege controls to prevent unauthorized local access to vulnerable systems. 8. Consider containerization or sandboxing of XML processing tools to isolate potential crashes and limit impact.