CVE-2020-29509CWE-115

The encoding/xml package in Go (all versions) does not correctly preserve the semantics of attribute namespace prefixes during tokenization round-trips, which…

Critical · published December 14, 2020

CVSS v3.1
9.8
EPSS
2%
Percentile
81.5
In the wild
Unconfirmed
What it is

🔥 Tiny details, major consequences! The encoding/xml package in Go stumbles over attribute namespaces, allowing attackers to exploit conflicting behaviors in downstream applications! Think of this vulnerability like a waiter miswriting a special order — one minute it’s a gluten-free meal, and the next, it’s a hefty slice of cake. The confusion can lead to unexpected consequences at the dinner table! An attacker could exploit this inconsistency to send malicious inputs that behave differently at various stages of processing. This might allow them to manipulate or compromise sensitive data within applications that rely on this package, leading to severe breaches and trust issues in the system. Absolutely devastating!

Put simply

Think of this vulnerability like a waiter miswriting a special order — one minute it’s a gluten-free meal, and the next, it’s a hefty slice of cake. The confusion can lead to unexpected consequences at the dinner table! The vulnerability arises because the encoding/xml package in Go fails to correctly preserve namespace semantics during tokenization, allowing crafted inputs to behave inconsistently. This could lead to unexpected outcomes in applications processing these inputs.

What to do

An attacker could exploit this inconsistency to send malicious inputs that behave differently at various stages of processing. This might allow them to manipulate or compromise sensitive data within applications that rely on this package, leading to severe breaches and trust issues in the system. Absolutely devastating! Immediately patch your systems to the latest version of Go, ensuring the encoding/xml package is updated. Review any applications that utilize this package for potential vulnerabilities and implement input validation to mitigate risks. 🔒 You’ve got this! Addressing this issue will help keep your applications secure and your users safe. 🛡️

The record
Technical detail
CVSS v3.1
9.8 · CRITICAL
Vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
CVSS v4.0
Not supplied
EPSS
0.02099 · 81.5th percentile
Weakness
CWE-115 · Misinterpretation of Input
Published
2020-12-14T20:02Z
EPSS history
Timeline
  • 14 DEC 20:02Z
    The encoding/xml package in Go (all versions) does not correctly preserve the semantics of attribute namespace prefixes during tokenization round-trips, which…
    cvelistv5