Vulnerability Description
Uncontrolled recursion in XPath evaluation in libxml2 up to and including version 2.9.14 allows a local attacker to cause a stack overflow via crafted expressions. XPath processing functions `xmlXPathRunEval`, `xmlXPathCtxtCompile`, and `xmlXPathEvalExpr` were resetting recursion depth to zero before making potentially recursive calls. When such functions were called recursively this could allow for uncontrolled recursion and lead to a stack overflow. These functions now preserve recursion depth across recursive calls, allowing recursion depth to be controlled.
CVSS Score
MEDIUM
Affected Products
| Vendor | Product | Versions |
|---|---|---|
| Xmlsoft | Libxml2 | < 2.10.0 |
Related Weaknesses (CWE)
References
- https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/libxml2/-/commit/677a42645ef22b5a50741bad5facf9d8Patch
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/09/msg00035.html
- https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/html/ssa-577017.html
FAQ
What is CVE-2025-9714?
CVE-2025-9714 is a vulnerability with a CVSS score of 6.2 (MEDIUM). Uncontrolled recursion in XPath evaluation in libxml2 up to and including version 2.9.14 allows a local attacker to cause a stack overflow via crafted expressions. XPath processing functions `xmlXPath...
How severe is CVE-2025-9714?
CVE-2025-9714 has been rated MEDIUM with a CVSS base score of 6.2/10. Review the CVSS metrics above for detailed severity breakdown.
Is there a patch for CVE-2025-9714?
Check the references section above for vendor advisories and patch information. Affected products include: Xmlsoft Libxml2.