CVE-2020-5227
Feedgen (python feedgen) before 0.9.0 is susceptible to XML Denial of Service attacks.
Does this matter?
High impact if exploited, but EPSS currently rates exploitation as unlikely (2.18%). Schedule it in the normal patch cycle and watch for a rise in EPSS or a public exploit.
Description
Feedgen (python feedgen) before 0.9.0 is susceptible to XML Denial of Service attacks. The *feedgen* library allows supplying XML as content for some of the available fields. This XML will be parsed and integrated into the existing XML tree. During this process, feedgen is vulnerable to XML Denial of Service Attacks (e.g. XML Bomb). This becomes a concern in particular if feedgen is used to include content from untrused sources and if XML (including XHTML) is directly included instead of providing plain tex content only. This problem has been fixed in feedgen 0.9.0 which disallows XML entity expansion and external resources.
- CVSS 3.1
- 7.5 HIGHCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
- EPSS
- 2.18% probability · 82th percentile
- Public exploits
- None in Exploit-DB
- CISA KEV
- Not listed
- Weakness
- CWE-776
- Affected
- feedgen project/feedgen
- Source
- security-advisories@github.com
EPSS 2.2% since 26 October 2026; no change recorded yet. Points are recorded when the score first appears and whenever it moves by a percentage point or more.
References
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/archive/msdn-magazine/2009/november/xml-denial-of-service-attacks-and-defensesExploit, Patch, Third Party Advisory, Vendor Advisory
- https://github.com/lkiesow/python-feedgen/commit/f57a01b20fa4aaaeccfa417f28e66b4084b9d0cfPatch
- https://github.com/lkiesow/python-feedgen/security/advisories/GHSA-g8q7-xv52-hf9fThird Party Advisory
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/T6I5ENUYGFNMIH6ZQ62FZ6VU2WD3SIOI/
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/archive/msdn-magazine/2009/november/xml-denial-of-service-attacks-and-defensesExploit, Patch, Third Party Advisory, Vendor Advisory
- https://github.com/lkiesow/python-feedgen/commit/f57a01b20fa4aaaeccfa417f28e66b4084b9d0cfPatch
- https://github.com/lkiesow/python-feedgen/security/advisories/GHSA-g8q7-xv52-hf9fThird Party Advisory
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/T6I5ENUYGFNMIH6ZQ62FZ6VU2WD3SIOI/
Source: NVD record, EPSS from FIRST.org, KEV from CISA, exploits from Exploit-DB. Refreshed daily. Download this record as JSON.