HOMEVULNERABILITIESCVE-2015-5523
MEDIUM

CVE-2015-5523

CWE-119Published: August 11, 2015· Updated: Jun 17, 2026

4.3
CVSS v3.1

Official Description

The ParseValue function in lexer.c in tidy before 4.9.31 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) via vectors involving multiple whitespace characters before an empty href, which triggers a large memory allocation.

NVD Source

Technical Analysis

CVE-2015-5523 can be exploited remotely over the network without requiring physical or adjacent access, significantly expanding the attack surface for threat actors.

Exploitation requires some privileges, which limits the exposure to scenarios where an attacker has already gained initial access.

From a weakness classification perspective (CWE-119): Buffer overflow vulnerabilities can lead to arbitrary code execution or denial of service by corrupting adjacent memory.

CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown

Exploitability
Attack VectorNetwork
Attack ComplexityM
Privileges Req.
User Interaction
Scope
Impact
ConfidentialityNone
IntegrityNone
AvailabilityP
AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:N/I:N/A:P

Affected Vendors & Products

Apple3 product(s)
iphone osmac os xwatchos
Canonical1 product(s)
ubuntu linux
Debian1 product(s)
debian linux
htacg1 product(s)
tidy
Source: NVD CPE · 9 total CPE entries

Exploit & PoC Resources

NO KNOWN EXPLOITNo public exploit confirmed at this time
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Official Patches & Advisories

All References (28)

Quick Facts

CVE IDCVE-2015-5523
CVSS Score4.3 / 10
SeverityMEDIUM
WeaknessCWE-119
CISA KEVNo
Affected4 vendor(s)
PublishedAug 11, 2015

Related CVEs (CWE-119)

Recommended Actions

  • Apply vendor patches immediately
  • Monitor CVE-2015-5523 in threat intel feeds
  • Review IDS/IPS signatures for exploitation attempts
Data sourced from NVD (NIST), CISA KEV, and EPSS (FIRST). Analysis generated by CTIWatch. CVE data is provided under the NVD usage policy.