# CVE-2012-3488: XML external entity in n/a

> Authenticated users can exploit XXE in libxslt to read files, modify data, or trigger SSRF in PostgreSQL.

- **Severity:** Medium 4.9 (`AV:N/AC:M/Au:S/C:P/I:P/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 3 Oct 2012
- **Updated:** 6 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-8wqv-9478-cg4h, RHSA-2012:1264

## What is CVE-2012-3488?

CVE-2012-3488 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Postgresql Postgresql, published on 3 Oct 2012. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

The libxslt support in contrib/xml2 in PostgreSQL 8.3 before 8.3.20, 8.4 before 8.4.13, 9.0 before 9.0.9, and 9.1 before 9.1.5 does not properly restrict access to files and URLs, which allows remote authenticated users to modify data, obtain sensitive information, or trigger outbound traffic to arbitrary external hosts by leveraging (1) stylesheet commands that are permitted by the libxslt security options or (2) an xslt_process feature, related to an XML External Entity (aka XXE) issue.

Weakness: CWE-264

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2012-3488?

It affects 1 product.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `postgresql` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::client | All versions | 0:8.1.23-6.el5_8 |
| `postgresql-contrib` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::client | All versions | 0:8.1.23-6.el5_8 |
| `postgresql-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::client | All versions | 0:8.1.23-6.el5_8 |
| `postgresql-docs` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::client | All versions | 0:8.1.23-6.el5_8 |
| `postgresql-libs` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::client | All versions | 0:8.1.23-6.el5_8 |
| `postgresql-python` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::client | All versions | 0:8.1.23-6.el5_8 |
| `postgresql-tcl` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::client | All versions | 0:8.1.23-6.el5_8 |
| `postgresql` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::client_workstation | All versions | 0:8.1.23-6.el5_8 |
| `postgresql-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::client_workstation | All versions | 0:8.1.23-6.el5_8 |
| `postgresql-devel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::client_workstation | All versions | 0:8.1.23-6.el5_8 |
| `postgresql-pl` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::client_workstation | All versions | 0:8.1.23-6.el5_8 |
| `postgresql-server` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::client_workstation | All versions | 0:8.1.23-6.el5_8 |
| `postgresql-test` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::client_workstation | All versions | 0:8.1.23-6.el5_8 |
| `postgresql` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::server | All versions | 0:8.1.23-6.el5_8 |
| `postgresql-contrib` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::server | All versions | 0:8.1.23-6.el5_8 |
| `postgresql-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::server | All versions | 0:8.1.23-6.el5_8 |
| `postgresql-devel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::server | All versions | 0:8.1.23-6.el5_8 |
| `postgresql-docs` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::server | All versions | 0:8.1.23-6.el5_8 |
| `postgresql-libs` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::server | All versions | 0:8.1.23-6.el5_8 |
| `postgresql-pl` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::server | All versions | 0:8.1.23-6.el5_8 |
| `postgresql-python` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::server | All versions | 0:8.1.23-6.el5_8 |
| `postgresql-server` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::server | All versions | 0:8.1.23-6.el5_8 |
| `postgresql-tcl` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::server | All versions | 0:8.1.23-6.el5_8 |
| `postgresql-test` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::server | All versions | 0:8.1.23-6.el5_8 |

Products: Postgresql Postgresql.

## How do I fix CVE-2012-3488?

Upgrade to a fixed version.

## Is CVE-2012-3488 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2012-3488 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Postgresql Postgresql

- [CVE-2013-1902](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-1902/): Information disclosure in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2013-1903](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-1903/): Information disclosure in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2007-3279](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2007-3279/): Privilege escalation in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2002-1399](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2002-1399/): Integer overflow in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2016-3065](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-3065/): Information disclosure in n/a (critical 9.1)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2012-3488 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2012-3488 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Postgresql Postgresql, published on 3 Oct 2012. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2012-3488 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Postgresql Postgresql. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2012-3488/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2012-3488/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2012-3488
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2012-3488
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2012-3488

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2012-3488/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.