CVE-2016-4472

Name: CVE-2016-4472
Creator: NVD / NIST
Published: 2016-06-30T17:59:04+00:00
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

HIGHCVSS 8.1/10EPSS 11.95%

Last modified Jun 17, 2026

CVE-2016-4472 is a high-severity vulnerability rated 8.1/10 on the CVSS scale. The overflow protection in Expat is removed by compilers with certain optimization settings, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) or possibly execute arbitrary code via crafted XML data. NOTE: this vulnerability exists because of an incomplete fix for CVE-2015-1283 and CVE-2015-2716.. EPSS estimates a 11.95% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

The overflow protection in Expat is removed by compilers with certain optimization settings, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) or possibly execute arbitrary code via crafted XML data. NOTE: this vulnerability exists because of an incomplete fix for CVE-2015-1283 and CVE-2015-2716.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

8.1/10

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

EPSS Probability

11.95%

95.6th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

CWE-119

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Libexpat Project	Libexpat	<= 2.1.1
Canonical	Ubuntu Linux	12.04
Mcafee	Policy Auditor	< 6.5.1
Python	Python	>= 2.7.0, < 2.7.15
Python	Python	>= 3.3.0, < 3.3.7
Python	Python	>= 3.4.0, < 3.4.7
Python	Python	>= 3.5.0, < 3.5.4
Python	Python	>= 3.6.0, < 3.6.2

References

http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/91528Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
http://www.ubuntu.com/usn/USN-3013-1Third Party Advisory
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1344251Issue Tracking, Patch, Third Party Advisory
https://kc.mcafee.com/corporate/index?page=content&id=SB10365Third Party Advisory
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/201701-21Third Party Advisory
https://sourceforge.net/p/expat/code_git/ci/f0bec73b018caa07d3e75ec8dd967f3785d71bdePatch, Third Party Advisory
https://www.tenable.com/security/tns-2016-20Third Party Advisory
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/91528Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
http://www.ubuntu.com/usn/USN-3013-1Third Party Advisory
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1344251Issue Tracking, Patch, Third Party Advisory
https://kc.mcafee.com/corporate/index?page=content&id=SB10365Third Party Advisory
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/201701-21Third Party Advisory
https://sourceforge.net/p/expat/code_git/ci/f0bec73b018caa07d3e75ec8dd967f3785d71bdePatch, Third Party Advisory
https://www.tenable.com/security/tns-2016-20Third Party Advisory

Timeline

Published: Jun 30, 2016
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2016-4472?

How severe is CVE-2016-4472?

CVE-2016-4472 has a CVSS score of 8.1/10 (HIGH severity). The EPSS model estimates a 11.95% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2016-4472?

Check the vendor references and advisories linked above for patched versions and mitigation guidance. You can also run a Strix scan to test if your systems are affected.

Are you affected by CVE-2016-4472?

Run a free Strix scan to check your systems for this vulnerability.

Scan your code now

Source: NVD / NIST