1. Ubuntu Security Notices
  2. USN-1153-1

USN-1153-1: libxml2 vulnerability

Publication date

16 June 2011

Overview

libxml2 could be made to crash or run programs as your login if it opened a specially crafted file.

Releases

Packages

Details

Chris Evans discovered that libxml2 incorrectly handled memory allocation.
If an application using libxml2 opened a specially crafted XML file, an
attacker could cause a denial of service or possibly execute code as the
user invoking the program.

Chris Evans discovered that libxml2 incorrectly handled memory allocation.
If an application using libxml2 opened a specially crafted XML file, an
attacker could cause a denial of service or possibly execute code as the
user invoking the program.

Update instructions

After a standard system update you need to restart your session to make all the necessary changes.

Learn more about how to get the fixes.

The problem can be corrected by updating your system to the following package versions:

Ubuntu Release Package Version
8.04 hardy libxml2 –  2.6.31.dfsg-2ubuntu1.6
11.04 natty libxml2 –  2.7.8.dfsg-2ubuntu0.1
10.10 maverick libxml2 –  2.7.7.dfsg-4ubuntu0.2
10.04 lucid libxml2 –  2.7.6.dfsg-1ubuntu1.2

Reduce your security exposure

Ubuntu Pro provides ten-year security coverage to 25,000+ packages in Main and Universe repositories, and it is free for up to five machines.

Get Ubuntu Pro

References

Have additional questions?

Talk to a member of the team ›