ZDF
Sign inSign up

Vulnerabilities

Vulnerability · CVE-2018-14404

A NULL pointer dereference vulnerability exists in the xpath.c:xmlXPathCompOpEval() function of libxml2 through 2.9.8 when parsing an invalid XPath expression in the XPATH_OP_AND o

Published Jul 19, 2018 · catalog updated Oct 14, 2026 · ubuntu linux

Check if you run it

No confirmed exploitation is on record for CVE-2018-14404. EPSS is 3.75%. Act only if a listed version of ubuntu linux is installed.

Gaps on this record

  • No vendor fix or required action is stored. Compare the linked advisory before you change production.
Severity
High7.5
Known exploitation
Not in CISA/VulnCheck KEV
EPSS
3.75%
Remediation
Advisory link
Affected products
Debian:12 libxml2 · Debian:13 libxml2 · Debian:14 libxml2 · cpe canonical/ubuntu linux · cpe debian/debian linux · cpe xmlsoft/libxml2

A NULL pointer dereference vulnerability exists in the xpath.c:xmlXPathCompOpEval() function of libxml2 through 2.9.8 when parsing an invalid XPath expression in the XPATH_OP_AND or XPATH_OP_OR case. Applications processing untrusted XSL format inputs with the use of the libxml2 library may be vulnerable to a denial of service attack due to a crash of the application.

Are you affected?

Enter the version you run. The result uses only the ranges stored on this record.

The check returns affected, not affected, or incomplete. It does not guess a version that is missing from the record.

  • Debian:12 libxml20 → 2.9.10+dfsg-2
  • Debian:13 libxml20 → 2.9.10+dfsg-2
  • Debian:14 libxml20 → 2.9.10+dfsg-2
  • cpe canonical/ubuntu linux12.04
  • cpe canonical/ubuntu linux14.04
  • cpe canonical/ubuntu linux16.04
  • cpe canonical/ubuntu linux18.04
  • cpe debian/debian linuxversion unspecified
  • cpe xmlsoft/libxml2version unspecified

How to fix CVE-2018-14404

What to do

Three questions, each answered from this record only. Confirm the vendor advisory before you patch.

Should you patch?

No confirmed exploitation is on record for CVE-2018-14404. EPSS is 3.75%. Act only if a listed version of ubuntu linux is installed.

Which versions are affected?

Compare what you have installed with canonical/ubuntu linux 12.04; canonical/ubuntu linux 14.04; canonical/ubuntu linux 16.04; canonical/ubuntu linux 18.04. Compare the installed version with the linked vendor advisory before you change production.

What should an analyst verify?

CWE-476: NULL Pointer Dereference. EPSS 3.75%. There is no CISA KEV listing. No Exploit-DB or Metasploit reference is linked. Use the source links for the original advisory.

Technology hubs

Debian securityUbuntu security

Code

The project this record applies to. Exploit listings stay in References.

No public source repository is identified for this product.

Timeline

Detection, updates, and resolution for this record.

  1. Jul 19, 2018 · NIST NVD

    Detected

    A NULL pointer dereference vulnerability exists in the xpath.c:xmlXPathCompOpEval() function of libxml2 through 2.9.8 when parsing an invalid XPath expression in the XPATH_OP_AND or XPATH_OP_OR case. Applications processing untrusted XSL format inputs with the use of the libxml2 library may be vulnerable to a denial of service attack due to a crash of the application.

  2. Oct 14, 2026 · NIST NVD

    Updated

    A NULL pointer dereference vulnerability exists in the xpath.c:xmlXPathCompOpEval() function of libxml2 through 2.9.8 when parsing an invalid XPath expression in the XPATH_OP_AND or XPATH_OP_OR case. Applications processing untrusted XSL format inputs with the use of the libxml2 library may be vulnerable to a denial of service attack due to a crash of the application.

  3. Oct 14, 2026 · OpenSSF OSV / OSV Scanner

    Fix available

    libxml2 fixed in 2.9.10+dfsg-2; libxml2 fixed in 2.9.10+dfsg-2; libxml2 fixed in 2.9.10+dfsg-2

  4. Oct 14, 2026 · OpenSSF OSV / OSV Scanner

    Fix available

    libxml2 fixed in 2.9.10+dfsg-2

  5. Oct 14, 2026 · OpenSSF OSV / OSV Scanner

    Updated

    A NULL pointer dereference vulnerability exists in the xpath.c:xmlXPathCompOpEval() function of libxml2 through 2.9.8 when parsing an invalid XPath expression in the XPATH_OP_AND or XPATH_OP_OR case. Applications processing untrusted XSL format inputs with the use of the libxml2 library may be vulnerable to a denial of service attack due to a crash of the application.

  6. Oct 14, 2026 · OpenSSF OSV / OSV Scanner

    Updated

    A NULL pointer dereference vulnerability exists in the xpath.c:xmlXPathCompOpEval() function of libxml2 through 2.9.8 when parsing an invalid XPath expression in the XPATH_OP_AND or XPATH_OP_OR case. Applications processing untrusted XSL format inputs with the use of the libxml2 library may be vulnerable to a denial of service attack due to a crash of the application.

  7. Oct 14, 2026 · OpenSSF OSV / OSV Scanner

    Updated

    A NULL pointer dereference vulnerability exists in the xpath.c:xmlXPathCompOpEval() function of libxml2 through 2.9.8 when parsing an invalid XPath expression in the XPATH_OP_AND or XPATH_OP_OR case. Applications processing untrusted XSL format inputs with the use of the libxml2 library may be vulnerable to a denial of service attack due to a crash of the application.

Sources

  • CVE.orgVulnerability recordCVE-2018-14404

    Official CVE identifier

    cve.org
  • FIRST EPSSExploitation probabilityCVE-2018-14404

    30-day exploitation probability 3.7%

    first.org
  • NIST NVDVulnerability recordCVE-2018-14404

    A NULL pointer dereference vulnerability exists in the xpath.c:xmlXPathCompOpEval() function of libxml2 through 2.9.8 when parsing an invalid XPath expression in the XPATH_OP_AND or XPATH_OP_OR case. Applications processing untrusted XSL format inputs with the use of the libxml2

    nvd.nist.gov
  • OpenSSF OSV / OSV ScannerPackage advisoryDEBIAN-CVE-2018-14404
    osv.dev

References

Freshness

Last verified in this catalog Oct 16, 2026. Significant claims (KEV, EPSS, CVSS, affected ranges) come from the source rows above — open the original publisher for the authoritative advisory.