CVE-2025-7424 is a vulnerability identified in the libxslt library, a widely used XML stylesheet transformation library integrated into Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10. The flaw stems from a type confusion issue where the same memory field, named psvi, is reused for both the stylesheet and input data during XML transformations. This improper handling can cause the application to access memory with an incompatible type, leading to memory corruption or crashes. The vulnerability can be triggered by processing specially crafted XML data, which causes the type confusion and results in unexpected behavior such as denial of service or potential integrity violations. The CVSS 3.1 score of 7.8 indicates a high severity, with an attack vector limited to local access (AV:L), high attack complexity (AC:H), no privileges required (PR:N), and no user interaction (UI:N). The scope is changed (S:C), meaning the vulnerability affects components beyond the initially vulnerable one. The impact is high on integrity and availability, but confidentiality is not affected. No known exploits are reported in the wild yet, but the vulnerability poses a significant risk for systems processing XML data using libxslt on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10. The lack of available patches at the time of reporting necessitates proactive mitigation steps.

For European organizations, this vulnerability can lead to denial of service conditions or memory corruption in applications relying on libxslt for XML processing, potentially disrupting critical services or workflows. Since Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 is commonly used in enterprise and government environments across Europe, especially in sectors like finance, telecommunications, and public administration, the impact could be substantial. The integrity of XML data processing could be compromised, leading to unexpected application behavior or crashes, which may affect service availability and reliability. Although exploitation requires local access and has high complexity, insider threats or compromised internal systems could leverage this flaw to escalate disruptions. The vulnerability does not directly expose confidential data but can degrade system stability and trustworthiness, impacting operational continuity and compliance with regulatory requirements such as GDPR if service disruptions affect personal data processing.

Organizations should monitor Red Hat advisories closely and apply official patches for libxslt and Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 as soon as they become available. In the interim, restrict local access to systems running vulnerable versions to trusted personnel only and implement strict access controls and monitoring to detect suspicious activities. Review and harden XML processing workflows to minimize exposure to untrusted XML inputs, including validating and sanitizing XML data before processing. Employ application whitelisting and sandboxing techniques for processes handling XML transformations to contain potential crashes or memory corruption effects. Conduct thorough testing of XML-dependent applications to identify abnormal behavior that could indicate exploitation attempts. Additionally, maintain up-to-date backups and incident response plans to quickly recover from denial of service or integrity incidents caused by this vulnerability.