Expat allows context-dependent attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) or possibly…
Priority MEDIUM 63CWE-119Published · Updated
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Network
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- Code execution
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- High · High · High
- Fix status
- Partial Red Hat: 15 fixed, 6 without a fix
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · NVD. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat. Impact type from CWE-119 and the CVSS impact.
Summary
Expat allows context-dependent attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) or possibly execute arbitrary code via a malformed input document, which triggers a buffer overflow.
Why it matters now
Exploitation None reported CISA SSVC · not in CISA KEV
EPSS 0.13255 96th percentileScored 2026-11-07
Fix Partial Red Hat: 2 advisoriesRed Hat: 15 fixed, 6 without a fix
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- None
- Automatable
- Yes
- Technical impact
- Total
The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | — | all versions | — | No fix listed | CNA |
- — Vendor— Affected all versions Fixed in — No fix listed CNA
CPE configurations NVD · 22
| CPE | Versions | Role | Vendor |
|---|---|---|---|
| cpe:2.3:a:mozilla:firefox:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | before 48.0 | Vulnerable | Mozilla |
| cpe:2.3:o:apple:mac_os_x:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 10.11.0 – 10.11.5 | Vulnerable | Apple |
| cpe:2.3:a:suse:linux_enterprise_debuginfo:11:sp4:*:*:*:*:*:* | 11 sp4 | Vulnerable | SUSE |
| cpe:2.3:a:suse:studio_onsite:1.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 1.3 | Vulnerable | SUSE |
| cpe:2.3:o:suse:linux_enterprise_server:11:sp4:*:*:*:*:*:* | 11 sp4 | Vulnerable | SUSE |
| cpe:2.3:o:suse:linux_enterprise_software_development_kit:11:sp4:*:*:*:*:*:* | 11 sp4 | Vulnerable | SUSE |
| cpe:2.3:o:opensuse:leap:42.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 42.1 | Vulnerable | openSUSE |
| cpe:2.3:o:suse:linux_enterprise_desktop:12:-:*:*:*:*:*:* | 12 | Vulnerable | SUSE |
| cpe:2.3:o:suse:linux_enterprise_desktop:12:sp1:*:*:*:*:*:* | 12 sp1 | Vulnerable | SUSE |
| cpe:2.3:o:suse:linux_enterprise_server:12:-:*:*:*:*:*:* | 12 | Vulnerable | SUSE |
- cpe:2.3:a:mozilla:firefox:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions before 48.0 Vulnerable ·Mozilla
- cpe:2.3:o:apple:mac_os_x:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 10.11.0 – 10.11.5 Vulnerable ·Apple
- cpe:2.3:a:suse:linux_enterprise_debuginfo:11:sp4:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 11 sp4 Vulnerable ·SUSE
- cpe:2.3:a:suse:studio_onsite:1.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 1.3 Vulnerable ·SUSE
- cpe:2.3:o:suse:linux_enterprise_server:11:sp4:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 11 sp4 Vulnerable ·SUSE
- cpe:2.3:o:suse:linux_enterprise_software_development_kit:11:sp4:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 11 sp4 Vulnerable ·SUSE
- cpe:2.3:o:opensuse:leap:42.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 42.1 Vulnerable ·openSUSE
- cpe:2.3:o:suse:linux_enterprise_desktop:12:-:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 12 Vulnerable ·SUSE
- cpe:2.3:o:suse:linux_enterprise_desktop:12:sp1:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 12 sp1 Vulnerable ·SUSE
- cpe:2.3:o:suse:linux_enterprise_server:12:-:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 12 Vulnerable ·SUSE
Show 12 more CPE
| CPE | Versions | Role | Vendor |
|---|---|---|---|
| cpe:2.3:o:suse:linux_enterprise_server:12:sp1:*:*:*:*:*:* | 12 sp1 | Vulnerable | SUSE |
| cpe:2.3:o:suse:linux_enterprise_software_development_kit:12:-:*:*:*:*:*:* | 12 | Vulnerable | SUSE |
| cpe:2.3:o:suse:linux_enterprise_software_development_kit:12:sp1:*:*:*:*:*:* | 12 sp1 | Vulnerable | SUSE |
| cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:12.04:*:*:*:lts:*:*:* | 12.04 | Vulnerable | Canonical |
| cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:14.04:*:*:*:lts:*:*:* | 14.04 | Vulnerable | Canonical |
| cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:16.04:*:*:*:lts:*:*:* | 16.04 | Vulnerable | Canonical |
| cpe:2.3:a:libexpat_project:libexpat:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | before 2.2.0 | Vulnerable | libexpat project |
| cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:8.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 8.0 | Vulnerable | Debian |
| cpe:2.3:o:opensuse:opensuse:13.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 13.1 | Vulnerable | openSUSE |
| cpe:2.3:o:opensuse:opensuse:13.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 13.2 | Vulnerable | openSUSE |
| cpe:2.3:a:mcafee:policy_auditor:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | before 6.5.1 | Vulnerable | McAfee |
| cpe:2.3:a:python:python:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 2.7.0 to before 2.7.15; 3.3.0 to before 3.3.7; 3.4.0 to before 3.4.7; 3.5.0 to before 3.5.4; 3.6.0 to before 3.6.2 | Vulnerable | python-pillow |
- cpe:2.3:o:suse:linux_enterprise_server:12:sp1:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 12 sp1 Vulnerable ·SUSE
- cpe:2.3:o:suse:linux_enterprise_software_development_kit:12:-:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 12 Vulnerable ·SUSE
- cpe:2.3:o:suse:linux_enterprise_software_development_kit:12:sp1:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 12 sp1 Vulnerable ·SUSE
- cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:12.04:*:*:*:lts:*:*:* Versions 12.04 Vulnerable ·Canonical
- cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:14.04:*:*:*:lts:*:*:* Versions 14.04 Vulnerable ·Canonical
- cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:16.04:*:*:*:lts:*:*:* Versions 16.04 Vulnerable ·Canonical
- cpe:2.3:a:libexpat_project:libexpat:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions before 2.2.0 Vulnerable ·libexpat project
- cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:8.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 8.0 Vulnerable ·Debian
- cpe:2.3:o:opensuse:opensuse:13.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 13.1 Vulnerable ·openSUSE
- cpe:2.3:o:opensuse:opensuse:13.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 13.2 Vulnerable ·openSUSE
- cpe:2.3:a:mcafee:policy_auditor:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions before 6.5.1 Vulnerable ·McAfee
- cpe:2.3:a:python:python:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 2.7.0 to before 2.7.15; 3.3.0 to before 3.3.7; 3.4.0 to before 3.4.7; 3.5.0 to before 3.5.4; 3.6.0 to before 3.6.2 Vulnerable ·python-pillow
Remediation
Red Hat 2 advisories
- RHSA-2018:2486 Released 2018-08-16 · Red Hat rating ImportantRed Hat JBoss Core Services Apache HTTP Server 2.4.29 security update
- Red Hat JBoss Core Services
- RHSA-2016:2824 Released 2016-11-28 · Red Hat rating Moderateexpat security update
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux Client (v. 7) expat-2.1.0-10.el7_3
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux Client Optional (v. 7) expat-devel-2.1.0-10.el7_3, expat-static-2.1.0-10.el7_3
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux ComputeNode (v. 7) expat-2.1.0-10.el7_3
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux ComputeNode Optional (v. 7) expat-devel-2.1.0-10.el7_3, expat-static-2.1.0-10.el7_3
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux Desktop (v. 6) expat-2.0.1-13.el6_8
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux Desktop Optional (v. 6) expat-devel-2.0.1-13.el6_8
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux HPC Node (v. 6) expat-2.0.1-13.el6_8
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux HPC Node Optional (v. 6) expat-devel-2.0.1-13.el6_8
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server (v. 6) expat-2.0.1-13.el6_8, expat-2.0.1-13.el6_8.ppc, expat-devel-2.0.1-13.el6_8 +1
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server (v. 7) expat-2.1.0-10.el7_3, expat-2.1.0-10.el7_3.ppc, expat-devel-2.1.0-10.el7_3 +1
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server Optional (v. 7) expat-static-2.1.0-10.el7_3, expat-static-2.1.0-10.el7_3.ppc
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux Workstation (v. 6) expat-2.0.1-13.el6_8, expat-devel-2.0.1-13.el6_8
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux Workstation (v. 7) expat-2.1.0-10.el7_3, expat-devel-2.1.0-10.el7_3
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux Workstation Optional (v. 7) expat-static-2.1.0-10.el7_3
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Moderate. Red Hat's page for this CVE →
| Product | Status | Plan or fix |
|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Directory Server 8 | Affected | — |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 | Affected | No fix planned: Will not fix |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 | Affected | No fix planned: Will not fix |
| Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Application Platform 6 | Affected | No fix planned: Will not fix |
| Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Web Server 2 | Affected | No fix planned: Will not fix |
| Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Web Server 3 | Affected | No fix planned: Will not fix |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux Client (v. 7) | Fixed | RHSA-2016:2824 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux Client Optional (v. 7) | Fixed | RHSA-2016:2824 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux ComputeNode (v. 7) | Fixed | RHSA-2016:2824 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux ComputeNode Optional (v. 7) | Fixed | RHSA-2016:2824 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux Desktop (v. 6) | Fixed | RHSA-2016:2824 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux Desktop Optional (v. 6) | Fixed | RHSA-2016:2824 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux HPC Node (v. 6) | Fixed | RHSA-2016:2824 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux HPC Node Optional (v. 6) | Fixed | RHSA-2016:2824 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server (v. 6) | Fixed | RHSA-2016:2824 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server (v. 7) | Fixed | RHSA-2016:2824 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server Optional (v. 7) | Fixed | RHSA-2016:2824 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux Workstation (v. 6) | Fixed | RHSA-2016:2824 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux Workstation (v. 7) | Fixed | RHSA-2016:2824 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux Workstation Optional (v. 7) | Fixed | RHSA-2016:2824 |
| Red Hat JBoss Core Services | Fixed | RHSA-2018:2486 |
Not affected: 3 products
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2016-0718
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-3f8j-8ww3-q7v6
- 2026-10-08 CISA SSVC decision points changed
References
Advisory 25
- RHSA-2016:2824
- https://www.tenable.com/security/tns-2016-20
- USN-2983-1
- openSUSE-SU-2016:1523
- http://support.eset.com/ca6333/
- USN-3044-1
- [oss-security] 20160517 CVE-2016-0718: Expat XML Parser Crashes on Malformed Input
- http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/topics/security/bulletinjul2016-3090568.html
- APPLE-SA-2016-07-18-1
- SUSE-SU-2016:1508
- https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1236923
- 20170227 CVE-2016-9892 - Remote Code Execution as Root via ESET Endpoint Antivirus 6
- GLSA-201701-21
- https://source.android.com/security/bulletin/2016-11-01.html
- DSA-3582
- SUSE-SU-2016:1512
- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1296102
- http://www.mozilla.org/security/announce/2016/mfsa2016-68.html
- openSUSE-SU-2016:1964
- RHSA-2018:2486
- https://support.apple.com/HT206903
- openSUSE-SU-2016:1441
- openSUSE-SU-2016:2026
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/141350/ESET-Endpoint-Antivirus-6-Remote-Code-Execution.html
- https://kc.mcafee.com/corporate/index?page=content&id=SB10365
Sources
- CVE-2016-0718 · CVE Program
- CVE-2016-0718 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-3f8j-8ww3-q7v6 · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2016-0718 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
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