# CVE-2013-4179: OpenStack Compute (Nova) vulnerable to denial of service via XML Entity Expansion attack

> Remote attackers can cause denial of service in OpenStack Compute via XML Entity Expansion attacks, requiring upgrades to patched versions.

- **Severity:** Medium 4.3 (`AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:N/I:N/A:P`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 16 Sep 2013
- **Updated:** 6 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2013-4179, GHSA-j6xh-q826-55jw, PYSEC-2026-875

## What is CVE-2013-4179?

CVE-2013-4179 is a medium-severity vulnerability in n/a, published on 16 Sep 2013. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

The security group extension in OpenStack Compute (Nova) Grizzly 2013.1.3, Havana before havana-3, and earlier allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (resource consumption and crash) via an XML Entity Expansion (XEE) attack.  NOTE: this issue is due to an incomplete fix for CVE-2013-1664.

Weakness: CWE-119 (Improper Restriction of Operations within the Bounds of a Memory Buffer)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2013-4179?

3 open source packages ship an affected version, including nova. It affects 2 products.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `nova` | PyPI | All versions | 2013.2 |
| `nova` | PyPI | All versions | 2013.2 |
| `nova` | PyPI | All versions | 2013.2 |

Products: Openstack Compute, Openstack Havana.

## How do I fix CVE-2013-4179?

Upgrade nova to 2013.2 or later.

## Is CVE-2013-4179 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2013-4179 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in n/a

- [CVE-2013-7130](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-7130/): OpenStack Nova Live migration can leak root disk into ephemeral storage (high 7.1)
- [CVE-2014-0167](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2014-0167/): OpenStack Compute (Nova) allows remote authenticated users to gain privileges via API requests (medium 6.0)
- [CVE-2015-2687](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2015-2687/): OpenStack Compute (Nova) Improper Access Control (medium 4.7)
- [CVE-2012-2654](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2012-2654/): OpenStack Compute (Nova) Improper Input Validation (medium 4.3)
- [CVE-2013-4185](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-4185/): OpenStack Nova Denial of Service in network source security groups (medium 4.0)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2013-4179 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2013-4179 is a medium-severity vulnerability in n/a, published on 16 Sep 2013. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2013-4179 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- nova (PyPI): affected all versions; fixed in 2013.2
- nova (PyPI): affected all versions; fixed in 2013.2
- nova (PyPI): affected all versions; fixed in 2013.2

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-2013-4179/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-4179/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2013-4179
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2013-4179
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2013-4179

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-4179/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.