# CVE-2015-5312: Nokogiri subject to DoS via libxml2 vulnerability

> Attackers can cause denial of service via CPU consumption by sending crafted XML data to applications using the vulnerable libxml2 library.

- **Severity:** High 7.1 (`AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:N/I:N/A:C`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 15 Dec 2015
- **Updated:** 6 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2015-5312, ECHO-ad99-83b5-cd1c, GHSA-xjqg-9jvg-fgx2, UBUNTU-CVE-2015-5312

## What is CVE-2015-5312?

CVE-2015-5312 is a high-severity denial of service vulnerability in Apple Iphone Os, published on 15 Dec 2015. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

The xmlStringLenDecodeEntities function in parser.c in libxml2 before 2.9.3 does not properly prevent entity expansion, which allows context-dependent attackers to cause a denial of service (CPU consumption) via crafted XML data, a different vulnerability than CVE-2014-3660.

Weakness: CWE-399

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2015-5312?

2 open source packages ship an affected version, including nokogiri. It affects 13 products.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `nokogiri` | RubyGems | From 1.6.0 | 1.6.7.1 |
| `nokogiri` | RubyGems | From 1.6.0 | 1.6.7.1 |

Products: Apple Iphone Os, Apple Mac Os X, Apple Tvos, Apple Watchos, Canonical Ubuntu Linux, Debian Debian Linux, Hp Icewall Federation Agent, Hp Icewall File Manager, Redhat Enterprise Linux Desktop, Redhat Enterprise Linux Hpc Node, Redhat Enterprise Linux Server, Redhat Enterprise Linux Workstation, Xmlsoft Libxml2.

## How do I fix CVE-2015-5312?

Upgrade nokogiri to 1.6.7.1 or later.

## Is CVE-2015-5312 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2015-5312 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Apple Iphone Os

- [CVE-2021-30666](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-30666/): Apple iOS WebKit Buffer Overflow (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2021-30761](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-30761/): Apple iOS WebKit Memory Corruption (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2021-30762](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-30762/): Apple iOS WebKit Use-After-Free (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2016-4657](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-4657/): Apple iOS Webkit Memory Corruption (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2019-7286](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-7286/): Apple Multiple Products Memory Corruption (high 7.8, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2015-5312 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2015-5312 is a high-severity denial of service vulnerability in Apple Iphone Os, published on 15 Dec 2015. 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-2015-5312 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- nokogiri (RubyGems): affected from 1.6.0; fixed in 1.6.7.1
- nokogiri (RubyGems): affected from 1.6.0; fixed in 1.6.7.1

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-2015-5312/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2015-5312/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2015-5312
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2015-5312
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2015-5312

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2015-5312/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.