USN-8524-1: Python vulnerability
Publication date
9 July 2026
Overview
Python could be made to crash if it received specially crafted input.
Releases
Packages
Details
It was discovered that Python did not use sufficient entropy for Expat
hash-flooding protection in the xml.parsers.expat and xml.etree.ElementTree
modules. An attacker could use this to cause a denial of service via a
crafted XML document.
It was discovered that Python did not use sufficient entropy for Expat
hash-flooding protection in the xml.parsers.expat and xml.etree.ElementTree
modules. An attacker could use this to cause a denial of service via a
crafted XML document.
Update instructions
In general, a standard system update will make all the necessary changes.
Learn more about how to get the fixes.The problem can be corrected by updating your system to the following package versions:
| Ubuntu Release | Package Version | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 16.04 LTS xenial | idle-python2.7 – 2.7.12-1ubuntu0~16.04.18+esm20 | ||
| idle-python3.5 – 3.5.2-2ubuntu0~16.04.13+esm23 | |||
| libpython2.7 – 2.7.12-1ubuntu0~16.04.18+esm20 | |||
| libpython2.7-dev – 2.7.12-1ubuntu0~16.04.18+esm20 | |||
| libpython2.7-minimal – 2.7.12-1ubuntu0~16.04.18+esm20 | |||
| libpython2.7-stdlib – 2.7.12-1ubuntu0~16.04.18+esm20 | |||
| libpython2.7-testsuite – 2.7.12-1ubuntu0~16.04.18+esm20 | |||
| libpython3.5 – 3.5.2-2ubuntu0~16.04.13+esm23 | |||
| libpython3.5-dev – 3.5.2-2ubuntu0~16.04.13+esm23 | |||
| libpython3.5-minimal – 3.5.2-2ubuntu0~16.04.13+esm23 | |||
| libpython3.5-stdlib – 3.5.2-2ubuntu0~16.04.13+esm23 | |||
| libpython3.5-testsuite – 3.5.2-2ubuntu0~16.04.13+esm23 | |||
| python2.7 – 2.7.12-1ubuntu0~16.04.18+esm20 | |||
| python2.7-dev – 2.7.12-1ubuntu0~16.04.18+esm20 | |||
| python2.7-doc – 2.7.12-1ubuntu0~16.04.18+esm20 | |||
| python2.7-examples – 2.7.12-1ubuntu0~16.04.18+esm20 | |||
| python2.7-minimal – 2.7.12-1ubuntu0~16.04.18+esm20 | |||
| python3.5 – 3.5.2-2ubuntu0~16.04.13+esm23 | |||
| python3.5-dev – 3.5.2-2ubuntu0~16.04.13+esm23 | |||
| python3.5-doc – 3.5.2-2ubuntu0~16.04.13+esm23 | |||
| python3.5-examples – 3.5.2-2ubuntu0~16.04.13+esm23 | |||
| python3.5-minimal – 3.5.2-2ubuntu0~16.04.13+esm23 | |||
| python3.5-venv – 3.5.2-2ubuntu0~16.04.13+esm23 | |||
Reduce your security exposure
Ubuntu Pro provides ten-year security coverage to 25,000+ packages in Main and Universe repositories, and it is free for up to five machines.