CVE-2021-25951 — xml2dict
HIGHCVE-2021-25951 is a high-severity (CVSS 7.5) XML External Entity (XXE) vulnerability in xml2dict. 1 public exploit reference exists, so weaponization risk is real. No vendor fix is recorded yet; mitigation options are listed below.
XML2Dict XML Entity Expansion Vulnerability
EPSS Exploitation Probability
Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days, from FIRST.org EPSS.
How urgent is this, really
CVE-2021-25951 by exploitation likelihood (EPSS) against impact (CVSS). Outside the shaded patch-first corner.
Where this sits among everything scored
Of 385,738 CVEs with a current EPSS score, this one falls in the < 10% band (highlighted). Counts from FIRST.org, log-scaled.
Real-World Exposure
xml2dictReal-time download stats are indexed for npm and PyPI packages. This vulnerability affects PyPI packages — download data is not available via public APIs for these ecosystems.
Description
XXE vulnerability in 'XML2Dict' version 0.2.2 allows an attacker to cause a denial of service. The parse function does not properly restrict recursive entity references.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🐍PyPI | xml2dict | all versions | No fix |
Affected Products
xml2dictxml2dict_projectResearch use only. For defensive security, authorized penetration testing, and academic research only. Never execute exploit code against systems without explicit written authorization.
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for xml2dict, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Remediation status
No patched version of xml2dict has shipped for CVE-2021-25951 yet. Where your build allows, override or pin the dependency away from the vulnerable range, and apply any maintainer-recommended mitigation.
Mitigate without a patch
Cap what an attacker can consume: apply request size, rate and timeout limits in front of the affected component, and run it with memory and CPU limits so exhaustion degrades one worker rather than the whole service.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2021-25951 in your dependencies?
Find it across PyPI, including transitive dependencies.