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Full vulnerability report · 2026
CVE-2026-86141High confidence

xmlregexp in libxml2 before 2.15.4 has a NULL pointer dereference in xmlRegNewParserCtxt after a strdup failure, i.e., it does not calculate a string length after NULL checking

xmlsoft · libxml2

2.9LowCVSS 3.1
Recommended action
Scheduled

Low technical severity with no CISA KEV confirmation; remediate through the normal risk-based patch cycle unless local exposure raises the priority.

Patch available
Distribution package intelligence

Ubuntu vendor package status

Canonical’s release and source-package findings are shown separately from local repository availability.

1 package state
Repository candidate not checked

A published vendor fix does not prove that a matching update is enabled and installable on a particular asset. Confirm the local package candidate before scheduling remediation.

Ubuntu releaseSource packageVendor stateFixed versionEvidence
Ubuntu 24.04 LTSnoble · standard archivelibxml2Under evaluationCanonical reports that the package might be affected and still needs evaluation or fixing.Not published in this feedCanonical record ↗Source updated 10 Sept 2026
Direct vendor intelligence

Authoritative vendor CSAF and VEX advisories

Structured product status and remediation from the issuing vendor. Product-state explanations are always visible; large lists can be searched or downloaded.

1 current
CVE-2026-86141 · CSAF 2.0 · revision 3 · finalRed Hat Product Securitylibxml2: libxml2: Denial of Service due to NULL pointer dereference in xmlRegNewParserCtxt
3 fixed

The vendor explicitly identifies these products or versions as containing the fix.

  • libxml2-main@aarch64 as a component of Red Hat Hardened Images
  • libxml2-main@src as a component of Red Hat Hardened Images
  • libxml2-main@x86_64 as a component of Red Hat Hardened Images
Summary
A NULL pointer dereference in libxml2's xmlRegNewParserCtxt function allows a local attacker to cause a denial of service (DoS). The flaw occurs when strlen() is called on an unverified pointer following a failed xmlStrdup() memory allocation, resulting in a process crash.
Remediation
For details on how to apply this update, which includes the changes described in this advisory, refer to: https://images.redhat.com/
Optional official sources

National CERT insights
?CERT means Computer Emergency Response Team; CSIRT is the closely related term Computer Security Incident Response Team.

Select the national-authority views to include. The exact source language is shown on each matched advisory. Your choice is remembered on this device and encoded in the shareable URL.

Official European source

ENISA European Vulnerability Database

Official EUVD identifiers, advisory evidence and known-exploited context. Missing fields are not treated as evidence of low risk.

1 current
ENISA EUVD identifier

EUVD-2026-71834

No EUVD known-exploited evidence

xmlregexp in libxml2 before 2.15.4 has a NULL pointer dereference in xmlRegNewParserCtxt after a strdup failure, i.e., it does not calculate a string length after NULL checking.

EUVD state
Present in the current official mapping
Known exploitation
Not present in the current ENISA EUVD known-exploited dataset. This is not proof of no exploitation.
ENISA score
2.9 · CVSS 3.1
Advisory evidence
No linked advisory details stored yet
Recommended actionScheduled

Low technical severity with no CISA KEV confirmation; remediate through the normal risk-based patch cycle unless local exposure raises the priority.

Patch available
01

What, why and how

xmlregexp in libxml2 before 2.15.4 has a NULL pointer dereference in xmlRegNewParserCtxt after a strdup failure, i.e., it does not calculate a string length after NULL checking.

What

xmlregexp in libxml2 before 2.15.4 has a NULL pointer dereference in xmlRegNewParserCtxt after a strdup failure, i.e., it does not calculate a string length after NULL checking.

Why

The product does not check the return value from a method or function, which can prevent it from detecting unexpected states and conditions.

How

An attacker operating through local access may attempt exploitation without authentication or user interaction. If successful, the issue may cause the confidentiality, integrity or availability impact described by the vendor.

What

xmlregexp in libxml2 before 2.15.4 has a NULL pointer dereference in xmlRegNewParserCtxt after a strdup failure, i.e., it does not calculate a string length after NULL checking.

Why

The product does not check the return value from a method or function, which can prevent it from detecting unexpected states and conditions.

How

An attacker operating through local access may attempt exploitation without authentication or user interaction. If successful, the issue may cause the confidentiality, integrity or availability impact described by the vendor.

02

Exploit reality and attack path

CVSS severity, EPSS forecast probability, public exploit material and CISA-confirmed exploitation are separate signals.

Observed exploitation
?Confirmed exploitation and public exploit material are separate signals. Attacks can occur without public proof-of-concept or exploit code.
No confirmed evidence

No CISA KEV match was present at the last successful refresh. This means no confirmation from that source, not proof of no exploitation.

Public PoC / exploit material
?Confirmed exploitation and public exploit material are separate signals. Attacks can occur without public proof-of-concept or exploit code.
None recorded

No exploit-tagged reference or CISA SSVC proof-of-concept state is currently recorded. Research may still exist outside the structured feeds.

Likely attack path
local access → Unchecked Return Value → cause the confidentiality, integrity or availability impact described by the vendor
Attack surface
Local
Privileges required
None: unauthenticated exploitation is possible
User interaction
None
Attack complexity
High: exploitation depends on specific conditions
Security boundary
Unchanged: impact remains within the vulnerable component's security authority
Weakness
?CWE means Common Weakness Enumeration: a standard category for the underlying weakness.
CWE-252 ↗

CWE-252: Unchecked Return Value. The product does not check the return value from a method or function, which can prevent it from detecting unexpected states and conditions.

CVSS vector
?CVSS means Common Vulnerability Scoring System. The vector records the metric values used to calculate technical severity.
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L

Common Vulnerability Scoring System 3.1: the compact vector below is decoded into plain language.

AVLocalAttack vector: The attacker needs local access to the vulnerable system.ACHighAttack complexity: Successful exploitation depends on specific conditions outside the attacker's direct control.PRNonePrivileges required: The attacker does not need an account or existing privileges.UINoneUser interaction: No action by another user is required.SUnchangedScope: The security impact remains within the vulnerable component's authority.CNoneConfidentiality impact: No direct loss is represented by this metric.INoneIntegrity impact: No direct loss is represented by this metric.ALowAvailability impact: A successful attack can cause a limited loss.
Post-exploitation / living off the land
The issue can support a local privilege or sandbox boundary transition; normal system utilities may then be available in the gained context.
UnauthenticatedCWE-252
A

Official authority intelligence

Only matched European and national findings are included. Language selectors and unavailable sources are omitted.

ENISA EUVD · EUVD-2026-71834Official EUVD mapping

xmlregexp in libxml2 before 2.15.4 has a NULL pointer dereference in xmlRegNewParserCtxt after a strdup failure, i.e., it does not calculate a string length after NULL checking.

Official EUVD record
BSI · German · WID-SEC-W-2026-3195libxml2: Mehrere Schwachstellen

Ein Angreifer kann mehrere Schwachstellen in libxml2 ausnutzen, um Sicherheitsvorkehrungen zu umgehen, um Daten zu manipulieren oder offenzulegen und um einen Denial of Service herbeizuführen.

Official advisory
03

Patch and workaround

Operational remediation based on structured source evidence.

Status
?Patch availability is based on structured fixed-version fields and authoritative update references. If no fix is verified, check the vendor advisory before making a change.
Patch available
Affected
< 2.15.4
Fixed
libxml2-main@aarch64 as a component of Red Hat Hardened Images; libxml2-main@src as a component of Red Hat Hardened Images; libxml2-main@x86_64 as a component of Red Hat Hardened Images
Action
For details on how to apply this update, which includes the changes described in this advisory, refer to: https://images.redhat.com/
Workaround
No verified workaround is recorded. Limit untrusted access and use least privilege until authoritative guidance is available.
04

Evidence and provenance

Published 5 Sept 2026 · Last source change 9 Sept 2026, 19:15 UTC · CWE-252 · Unchecked Return Value

CVE recordCVE.org · 5.2
CVSS sourceCNA
EPSS source
?The date BlackTree first stored a score for this CVE from the daily FIRST EPSS feed.
FIRST · tracked since 2026-09-06
European sourceENISA EUVD · EUVD-2026-71834
Product sourceCNA
Remediation sourceVendor CSAF · Red Hat Product Security
CWE sourceCNA
NVD statusNVD awaiting enrichment

Core structured fields are present and their contributing authorities are shown above.

Material change intelligence

What changed after publication

View recent updates →
  1. ENISA EUVD mappingEUVD-2026-71834 was added to the official ENISA EUVD mapping for this CVE.
    Before
    not recorded
    After
    {"euvdId":"EUVD-2026-71834"}
    ENISA EUVD ↗
  2. Catalogue recordCVE added to the BlackTree catalogue.
    CNA ↗
Material fields only · duplicate refreshes suppressed · history retained for the configured operational retention period
CVE published
ENISA EUVD · EUVD-2026-71834↗Vendor CSAF · Red Hat Product Security↗CVE authority or vendor reference↗Official CVE record (CNA and ADP data)↗NVD record↗
Technical terms and abbreviations used in this report
CVE
Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures: the public identifier for one disclosed vulnerability.
CVSS
Common Vulnerability Scoring System: a technical severity framework; it is not patching priority by itself.
EPSS
Exploit Prediction Scoring System: FIRST's estimate of the probability that exploitation activity will be observed in the next 30 days; it is a forecast, not confirmation.
CWE
Common Weakness Enumeration: the standard category describing the underlying software or hardware weakness.
CNA
CVE Numbering Authority: an organisation authorised to assign and publish CVE records.
CISA ADP
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Authorized Data Publisher: structured enrichment added to a CVE record.
NVD
National Vulnerability Database: NIST's enrichment service for CVE records.
CERT / CSIRT
A computer security incident response team that publishes warnings or coordinates incident response.
PoC
Proof of concept: public material that demonstrates or helps reproduce exploitation.
CSAF
Common Security Advisory Framework: a machine-readable format for security advisories.
LoTL
Living off the land: abuse of legitimate tools or system functions during an attack.
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