Summary
Librsvg: Use-after-free when XML includes have duplicated entities
Librsvg uses libxml2, a C library, to parse XML. When librsvg parses
an SVG document which has a nested Xinclude, an XML entity declaration
with a duplicate name as an existing one can cause a use-after-free error.
While libxml2 is expanding an internal entity, a recursive XInclude
can parse another document that declares an entity with the same
name. Both parses use the same XmlState entity
map on the librsvg side. entity_insert() replaces the first entry, whose Drop
implementation calls xmlFreeNode(). The outer xmlCtxtParseEntity()
then keeps using the freed 144-byte xmlEntity.
The included parse should not free an entity that the outer parser is still using.
The fix is in commit 8a1b0cd319e9af2d1e9cf878081dd77f227a0504, where
librsvg will no longer free xmlEntity pointers that libxml2 is still
using.
Impact
Memory is accessed after it has been freed, leading to undefined behavior in native code. Typical impact: memory corruption, crash, or potential code execution.
CVE-2026-96889 has a CVSS score of 7.8 (High). The vector is requires local access, no privileges required, and user interaction required. A CVSS score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether this affects your application depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable in your environment. A fixed version is available (2.57.5, 2.60.3, 2.61.5, 2.62.4, 2.63.2); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.
Affected versions
Security releases
Kodem intelligence
Severity tells you how bad this could be in the worst case. It does not tell you whether you are exposed. Exploitability and impact are functions of runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A vulnerable package can sit in your dependency tree and never run.
Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter. Kodem's runtime-powered SCA identifies whether this CVE is reachable in your applications.
Already deployed Kodem?
See it in your environmentNew to Kodem? Get a demo →Remediation advice
librsvg to 2.57.5 or later; librsvg to 2.60.3 or later; librsvg to 2.61.5 or later; librsvg to 2.62.4 or later; librsvg to 2.63.2 or later
Kodem Kai can prioritize this vulnerability in your dependency tree and generate a fix recommendation.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2026-96889? CVE-2026-96889 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in librsvg (rust), affecting versions < 2.57.5. It is fixed in 2.57.5, 2.60.3, 2.61.5, 2.62.4, 2.63.2. Memory is accessed after it has been freed, leading to undefined behavior in native code.
- How severe is CVE-2026-96889? CVE-2026-96889 has a CVSS score of 7.8 (High). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.
- Which versions of librsvg are affected by CVE-2026-96889? librsvg (rust) versions < 2.57.5 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2026-96889? Yes. CVE-2026-96889 is fixed in 2.57.5, 2.60.3, 2.61.5, 2.62.4, 2.63.2. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2026-96889 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2026-96889 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
- What actually determines whether CVE-2026-96889 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.
- How do I fix CVE-2026-96889?
- Upgrade
librsvgto 2.57.5 or later - Upgrade
librsvgto 2.60.3 or later - Upgrade
librsvgto 2.61.5 or later - Upgrade
librsvgto 2.62.4 or later - Upgrade
librsvgto 2.63.2 or later
- Upgrade