medium · CVSS 5.5

CVE-2026-76781

Libxml2: libxml2: null pointer dereference parsing nextcatalog without catalog attribute

Published 17 Sept 2026 · Source updated 6 Nov 2026 · Retrieved 2026-11-06 00:54 UTC

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What happened?

A flaw was found in libxml2. A local user or an attacker providing a specially crafted XML catalog can trigger a NULL pointer dereference during XML catalog parsing. This occurs when a `nextCatalog` element lacks its mandatory `catalog` attribute, leading to the application crashing and causing a Denial of Service (DoS).

Description supplied by CVE Program. Formatting is simplified; follow the original advisory for full details.

Affected software and versions

Source-provided software and version information
Software	Version information	Fixed version
libxml2-mainRed Hat	unaffected: 2.15.3-0.1.3.hum1 to < *	See vendor advisory
libxml2Red Hat	Default status: unaffected	See vendor advisory
podmanRed Hat	Default status: affected	See vendor advisory
libxml2Red Hat	Default status: unknown	See vendor advisory
libxml2Red Hat	Default status: unknown	See vendor advisory
container-tools:rhel8/podmanRed Hat	Default status: affected	See vendor advisory
libxml2Red Hat	Default status: affected	See vendor advisory
podmanRed Hat	Default status: affected	See vendor advisory
libxml2Red Hat	Default status: unaffected	See vendor advisory
podmanRed Hat	Default status: affected	See vendor advisory
swift-langRed Hat	Default status: unaffected	See vendor advisory
openshift/ose-rhel-coreos-8Red Hat	Default status: affected	See vendor advisory
openshift/ose-rhel-coreos-9Red Hat	Default status: affected	See vendor advisory
podmanRed Hat	Default status: affected	See vendor advisory
openshift/ose-rhel-coreos-9Red Hat	Default status: affected	See vendor advisory

Version information comes from the source record and can include unaffected products and exceptions. Distribution packages may contain backported fixes: an older upstream version alone does not prove a server is affected.

Is it being exploited?

This CVE was not listed in the CISA catalogue at our last retrieval. This does not establish that exploitation is absent.

CISA data retrieved 2026-11-06 16:38 UTC. Check CISA ↗

How to respond

Confirm the product, installed package version, and any configuration requirements in the vendor advisory.
Follow the vendor’s remediation or workaround guidance in the references below. Structured fixed-version data is unavailable here; the publisher’s description may include a fix or workaround.
Restart affected services if required, then verify the running version. Known exploitation may warrant investigation as well as patching.

Sources and remediation references

This public advisory does not determine whether a particular server is affected. Records are refreshed as sources change; verify urgent decisions against the original advisory.

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