9.8

CVE-2017-16931: xmlsoft libxml2

Modified
AliasesALPINE-CVE-2017-16931UBUNTU-CVE-2017-16931DEBIAN-CVE-2017-16931
Published 23-11-2017Last modified 14-10-2026

Vulnerability summary

CVE-2017-16931 is a critical (CVSS 9.8) vulnerability in xmlsoft libxml2. EPSS estimates a 4.58% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 91.6% of scored vulnerabilities.

Priority
Prioritisesevere

Severe, CVSS 9.8 (NVD); no exploitation reported by the 5 checked sources; EPSS 5% (FIRST, 03-11-2026)

Source freshness unavailable

How is this decided?
CVSS score
9.8/10
010
Critical · v3.0 (NVD)
EPSS score
4.58%
0%100%
Low · +0.25 pp in 30 days
KEVNot listedNot listed by any tracked catalog.
RansomwareNot flaggedNo ransomware use recorded.
Public exploits0No public exploits recorded

Advisory lineage

Upstream 0 · Downstream 1
DLA-1194-1

Timeline

  1. 23-11-2017
    PublishedVulnerability first disclosed.
  2. 14-10-2026
    Last modifiedVulnerability information updated.

Description

parser.c in libxml2 before 2.9.5 mishandles parameter-entity references because the NEXTL macro calls the xmlParserHandlePEReference function in the case of a '%' character in a DTD name.

CVSS metrics

5 scores · 4 sources · 2 versions

EPSS trend

Probability

4.58%

Chance of exploitation in the next 30 days

Percentile

92%

Versus all other CVEs

30-day change

Increase +0.25 pp

From 4.33% on 04-10-2026

04-10-202603-11-2026

Known exploited

Compare KEV catalogs
CISA KEV

Not in the CISA KEV catalog.

ENISA CNW

Not in the ENISA CNW catalog.

CIRCL

Not in the CIRCL catalog.

Public exploits

0 found

No public exploits indexed.

Weaknesses

CWE · root cause

Affected systems

Version check

Known conditions: network-reachable, no authentication, no user interaction (CVSS vector). Other conditions: not stated in public data.

Alpine1 product
  • libxml2< 2.9.5-r0
Debian1 product
  • libxml2< 2.9.4+dfsg1-3.1
Ubuntu1 product
  • libxml2< 2.9.1+dfsg1-3ubuntu4.10 | < 2.9.3+dfsg1-1ubuntu0.3
Xmlsoft1 product

4 vendors · 4 products

References

10 links