Important: libxml2 security update
Security Advisory: Important
Updated libxml2 packages that fix one security issue are now available for
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.6 Extended Update Support.
The Red Hat Security Response Team has rated this update as having
important security impact. A Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS)
base score, which gives a detailed severity rating, is available from
the CVE link in the References section.
The libxml2 library is a development toolbox providing the implementation
of various XML standards.
A heap-based buffer overflow flaw was found in the way libxml2 decoded
entity references with long names. A remote attacker could provide a
specially-crafted XML file that, when opened in an application linked
against libxml2, would cause the application to crash or, potentially,
execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the user running the
application. (CVE-2011-3919)
All users of libxml2 are advised to upgrade to these updated packages,
which contain a backported patch to correct this issue. The desktop must
be restarted (log out, then log back in) for this update to take effect.
Before applying this update, make sure all previously-released errata
relevant to your system have been applied.
This update is available via the Red Hat Network. Details on how to
use the Red Hat Network to apply this update are available at
https://access.redhat.com/kb/docs/DOC-11259