libexpat through 2.9.0 contains a NULL pointer dereference vulnerability in externalEntityInitProcessor2() in
Affects libexpatSource GCVE Database
Not known to be exploited · CVSS 8.2 High : upgrade to 2.9.1 soon.
Data as of 28 Oct 2026, 04:16 UTC
- Affects
- libexpat through 2.9.0
- Patch
- Available – fixed in 2.9.1
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:NExploitation evidence
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 28 Oct 2026
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors
A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 26 Oct 2026.
What to do
Upgrade libexpat/libexpat to 2.9.1.
Affected software
| Product | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
GitHublibexpat/libexpatpkg:github/libexpat/libexpatOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in
|
Check your own hosts for these packages with threat-finder (opens in a new tab), our free open-source scanner.
AI-suggested
If you cannot patch yet, users should consider mitigating exposure by restricting untrusted input that could control stream chunking or by using alternative XML parsers if feasible.
Description
A NULL pointer dereference vulnerability exists in libexpat through version 2.9.0 within the externalEntityInitProcessor2() function. This flaw mishandles the XML_TOK_NONE token from empty input, allowing attackers who control stream chunking to cause a crash by forcing an empty non-final first parse on an external entity subparser.
References
- nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-117610 (opens in a new tab)
- github.com/libexpat/libexpat/pull/1444 (opens in a new tab)
- github.com/libexpat/libexpat/commit/7b0d50e4b1d16fafd55876260701e04279a7489d (opens in a new tab)
- github.com/libexpat/libexpat (opens in a new tab)
- github.com/libexpat/libexpat/blob/a76b1174c1ea52abb639a4c69d52b630a8a106a2/expat/lib/xmlparse.c (opens in a new tab)
- vulncheck.com/advisories/libexpat-through-2.9.0-null-pointer-dereference-via-external-entity-subparser (opens in a new tab)