Libxml2: Heap-use-after-free in xmlCharEncCloseFunc
Description
A heap-use-after-free vulnerability exists in libxml2 within the xmlCharEncCloseFunc function. This issue was identified by OSS-Fuzz and involves a read operation on freed heap memory, potentially leading to memory corruption or crashes. The vulnerability affects multiple specific versions of libxml2 from 2.14.0 through 2.15.4. No CVSS score or vendor patch information is currently available.
Affected software
pkg:generic/libxml2Run on your own infrastructure? Check whether these packages are installed with threat-finder — our free open-source scanner.
AI-Powered Analysis
Machine-generated threat intelligence
Technical Analysis
The vulnerability is a heap-use-after-free read detected in the xmlCharEncCloseFunc function of libxml2, as reported by OSS-Fuzz. The crash occurs during operations involving htmlSaveFileFormat and parseAndPrintFile, indicating a use-after-free condition that may cause memory corruption or application crashes. The affected versions explicitly include libxml2 versions 2.14.0 through 2.15.4. No official patch or remediation details have been provided in the available data.
Potential Impact
The heap-use-after-free vulnerability can lead to memory corruption and application crashes when processing XML data using the affected libxml2 versions. This may impact the stability and security of applications relying on these versions of libxml2. There is no information about active exploitation in the wild.
Mitigation Recommendations
Patch status is not yet confirmed — check the vendor advisory for current remediation guidance. Until an official fix is available, users should consider avoiding the affected versions or applying any available updates from the libxml2 maintainers once released.
Technical Details
- Gcve Source
- db.gcve.eu
- Osv Id
- OSV-2024-698
- Osv Schema Version
- 1.6.0
- Ecosystems
- ["OSS-Fuzz"]
Threat ID: 6a9d763cacd9273b49d80c8e
Added to database: 09/06/2026, 14:18:36 UTC
Last enriched: 09/07/2026, 09:24:09 UTC
Last updated: 10/04/2026, 06:25:15 UTC
Views: 172
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