CVE-2026-56412: CWE-416 Use After Free in libexpat project libexpat
libexpat before 2.8.2 does not consider XML_TOK_DATA_CHARS in doCdataSection and thus lacks handler call depth tracking for various calls from within handlers in cases of a policy violation. Thus, a use-after-free can occur. NOTE: this issue exists because of an incomplete fix for CVE-2026-50219.
AI Analysis
Technical Summary
The libexpat XML parsing library prior to version 2.8.2 does not properly track handler call depth for XML_TOK_DATA_CHARS within the doCdataSection function. This incomplete tracking causes a use-after-free condition when handlers are invoked recursively or in complex policy violation cases. The vulnerability is a consequence of an incomplete remediation of CVE-2026-50219, leaving the library susceptible to memory corruption issues.
Potential Impact
Successful exploitation could lead to limited confidentiality, integrity, and availability impacts as indicated by the CVSS vector (C:L/I:L/A:L). The use-after-free condition may cause crashes or potentially allow an attacker with local access to execute arbitrary code or cause denial of service. However, exploitation requires high attack complexity and local access, with no privileges or user interaction needed.
Mitigation Recommendations
Patch status is not yet confirmed — check the vendor advisory for current remediation guidance. No official fix or patch information is provided at this time. Users should monitor libexpat project advisories for updates addressing this vulnerability.
CVE-2026-56412: CWE-416 Use After Free in libexpat project libexpat
Description
libexpat before 2.8.2 does not consider XML_TOK_DATA_CHARS in doCdataSection and thus lacks handler call depth tracking for various calls from within handlers in cases of a policy violation. Thus, a use-after-free can occur. NOTE: this issue exists because of an incomplete fix for CVE-2026-50219.
CVSS v3.1
Score 4.9medium
Weaknesses
AI-Powered Analysis
Machine-generated threat intelligence
Technical Analysis
The libexpat XML parsing library prior to version 2.8.2 does not properly track handler call depth for XML_TOK_DATA_CHARS within the doCdataSection function. This incomplete tracking causes a use-after-free condition when handlers are invoked recursively or in complex policy violation cases. The vulnerability is a consequence of an incomplete remediation of CVE-2026-50219, leaving the library susceptible to memory corruption issues.
Potential Impact
Successful exploitation could lead to limited confidentiality, integrity, and availability impacts as indicated by the CVSS vector (C:L/I:L/A:L). The use-after-free condition may cause crashes or potentially allow an attacker with local access to execute arbitrary code or cause denial of service. However, exploitation requires high attack complexity and local access, with no privileges or user interaction needed.
Mitigation Recommendations
Patch status is not yet confirmed — check the vendor advisory for current remediation guidance. No official fix or patch information is provided at this time. Users should monitor libexpat project advisories for updates addressing this vulnerability.
Technical Details
- Data Version
- 5.2
- Assigner Short Name
- mitre
- Date Reserved
- 2026-06-21T15:58:58.955Z
- Cvss Version
- 3.1
- State
- PUBLISHED
- Remediation Level
- null
Threat ID: 6a3813d0eed863c81e111ff9
Added to database: 06/21/2026, 16:39:44 UTC
Last enriched: 06/28/2026, 21:55:39 UTC
Last updated: 08/04/2026, 18:36:14 UTC
Views: 116
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