CVE-2019-15160 : What You Need to Know

SweetXml (sweet_xml) package through version 0.6.6 for Erlang and Elixir is vulnerable to an XML entity expansion attack, potentially leading to denial of service due to resource consumption.

Understanding CVE-2019-15160

An XML entity expansion attack with an inline DTD can be exploited by attackers to cause a denial of service in the SweetXml package.

What is CVE-2019-15160?

The vulnerability in SweetXml allows attackers to trigger a denial of service by exploiting an XML entity expansion attack with an inline DTD.

The Impact of CVE-2019-15160

This vulnerability can result in resource consumption, leading to a denial of service condition for systems using the affected SweetXml package.

Technical Details of CVE-2019-15160

SweetXml (sweet_xml) package through version 0.6.6 for Erlang and Elixir is susceptible to exploitation.

Vulnerability Description

Attackers can exploit an XML entity expansion attack with an inline DTD to cause resource consumption and trigger a denial of service in SweetXml.

Affected Systems and Versions

Product: SweetXml (sweet_xml)
Versions affected: up to 0.6.6 for Erlang and Elixir

Exploitation Mechanism

The vulnerability can be exploited by crafting malicious XML payloads with inline DTDs to trigger resource exhaustion and disrupt the service.

Mitigation and Prevention

To address CVE-2019-15160, immediate steps and long-term security practices are recommended.

Immediate Steps to Take

Update SweetXml package to a non-vulnerable version.
Implement input validation to sanitize XML inputs.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly monitor for security advisories related to SweetXml.
Conduct security assessments to identify and mitigate similar vulnerabilities.

Patching and Updates

Apply patches provided by the SweetXml package maintainers to fix the vulnerability.