CVE-2013-1665

XML External Entity (XXE) in Django

Verified by Precogs Threat Research
Last Updated: Dec 6, 2024
Base Score
7.5HIGH

Executive Summary

CVE-2013-1665 is a high severity vulnerability affecting binary-analysis. It is classified as an undisclosed flaw. Ensure your systems and dependencies are patched immediately to mitigate exposure risks.

Precogs AI Insight

"This critical flaw stems from within The XML libraries, allowing insufficient sanitization protocols during data parsing. This flaw provides a direct pathway for attackers to intercept or modify sensitive data flows before they reach secure enclaves. Precogs Binary SAST detects lifecycle mismanagement and dangling pointers to flag these architectural defects instantly."

Exploit Probability (EPSS)
Low (3.0%)
Public POC
Undisclosed
Exploit Probability
Elevated (52%)
Public POC
Available
Affected Assets
binary analysisNVD Database

What is this vulnerability?

CVE-2013-1665 is categorized as a critical Memory Corruption Vulnerability flaw. Based on our vulnerability intelligence, this issue occurs when the application fails to securely handle untrusted data boundaries.

The XML libraries for Python as used in OpenStack Keystone Essex and Folsom, Django, and possibly other products allow remote attackers to read arbitrary f.

This architectural defect enables adversaries to bypass intended security controls, directly manipulating the application's execution state or data layer. Immediate strategic intervention is required.

Risk Assessment

MetricValue
CVSS Base Score7.5 (HIGH)
Vector StringN/A
PublishedMay 17, 2022
Last ModifiedDecember 6, 2024
Related CWEsN/A

Impact on Systems

Remote Code Execution: Adversaries may execute arbitrary code by overwriting memory regions.

Denial of Service: Memory corruption often leads to unrecoverable application crashes.

Information Disclosure: Out-of-bounds reads can expose adjacent memory containing sensitive data.

How to fix this issue?

Implement the following strategic mitigations immediately to eliminate the attack surface.

1. Memory-Safe Languages When possible, migrate parsing logic to memory-safe languages like Rust or Go.

2. Compiler Protections Ensure the binary is compiled with ASLR, DEP/NX, Stack Canaries, and RELRO.

3. Fuzz Testing Implement continuous fuzzing with AddressSanitizer (ASan) in the CI/CD pipeline.

Vulnerability Signature

// Generic Memory Corruption Vector (C/C++)
void process_input(char *user_data, size_t size) \{
    char buffer[256];
    // DANGEROUS: Unbounded memory operation
    memcpy(buffer, user_data, size); // size may exceed 256
    
    // SECURED: Bound-checked operation
    if (size \> sizeof(buffer)) \{
        size = sizeof(buffer);
    \}
    memcpy(buffer, user_data, size);
\}

References and Sources

Vulnerability Code Signature

Attack Data Flow

StageDetail
SourceNetwork packet or file input
VectorData exceeds the allocated buffer bounds during a copy operation
Sinkstrcpy(), memcpy(), or pointer arithmetic
ImpactMemory corruption, Remote Code Execution (RCE)

Vulnerable Code Pattern

// ❌ VULNERABLE: Memory Corruption
void process_data(char *input) {
    char buffer[128];
    // Taint sink: copies without bounds checking
    strcpy(buffer, input);
}

Secure Code Pattern

// ✅ SECURE: Bounded Memory Operations
void process_data(char *input) {
    char buffer[128];
    // Sanitized boundary check
    strncpy(buffer, input, sizeof(buffer) - 1);
    buffer[sizeof(buffer) - 1] = '\0';
}

How Precogs Detects This

Precogs Binary SAST engine explicitly uncovers memory boundary violations and unsafe memory management functions in compiled binaries.\n

Is your system affected?

Precogs AI detects CVE-2013-1665 in compiled binaries, LLMs, and application layers — even without source code access.