PatchTheCVECVE-2025-9714: Uncontrolled recursion in XPath evaluation in libxml2 up to and including version 2.9.14 allows a local attack
CVE-2025-9714 is a medium-severity flaw (CVSS 6.2) affecting libxml2. Below: why it ranks where it does, which versions are affected, what to do, and the exact commands.
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 over
Why this priority
- No elevated risk signals yet
A fixed release or distro patch exists.
Risk facts
| CVSS score | 6.2 (Medium) |
| Attack vector | Local |
| Attack complexity | Low |
| Privileges needed | None |
| User interaction | None |
| EPSS exploit chance | 0.2% (top 95%) |
| CISA exploited list | No |
| Weakness | CWE-674 |
| Published | 2025-09-10 |
| Last modified | 2026-10-19 |
Last updated 2026-10-19 · Sources: CVE Program, NVD, CISA KEV, EPSS and vendor advisories · How we score
Am I affected?
Timeline
- Published CVE record published
- Updated Record last modified
Scores and fixes here are computed automatically from those and other public sources. Confirm with the vendor advisory before changing production systems.
Quick answers
How do I fix CVE-2025-9714?
libxml2: upgrade to 2.10.0. Exact commands for each OS are on this page.
Is CVE-2025-9714 being exploited?
CVE-2025-9714 is not on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities list at the time of the last update. Check again, as this can change.
What does CVE-2025-9714 affect?
CVE-2025-9714 affects libxml2. Severity is medium (CVSS 6.2). 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 `xm
How urgent is CVE-2025-9714?
Priority 23/100. No elevated risk signals yet.
Software pages
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