Feedgen Vulnerable to XML Denial of Service Attacks
Impact
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.
Patches
This problem has been fixed in feedgen 0.9.0 which disallows XML entity expansion and external resources.
Workarounds
Updating is strongly recommended and should not be problematic. Nevertheless, as a workaround, avoid providing XML directly to feedgen or ensure that no entity expansion is part of the XML.
References
For more information
If you have any questions or comments about this advisory:
- Open an issue in lkiesow/python-feedgen
- Send an email to security@lkiesow.de
Affected software
Click a technology to see all vulnerabilities affecting it.
| Platform | Package | Vulnerable versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Python (PyPI) | feedgen | < 0.9.0 | 0.9.0 |
References
- https://github.com/lkiesow/python-feedgen/security/advisories/GHSA-g8q7-xv52-hf9f
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/archive/msdn-magazine/2009/november/xml-denial-of-service-attacks-and-defenses
- https://github.com/lkiesow/python-feedgen/commit/f57a01b20fa4aaaeccfa417f28e66b4084b9d0cf
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/T6I5ENUYGFNMIH6ZQ62FZ6VU2WD3SIOI/
- https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-5227
- https://github.com/lkiesow/python-feedgen
- https://github.com/pypa/advisory-database/tree/main/vulns/feedgen/PYSEC-2020-231.yaml
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/T6I5ENUYGFNMIH6ZQ62FZ6VU2WD3SIOI
- CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H- Weakness (CWE)
CWE-776- Platform
- Python (PyPI)
- Package
feedgen- Disclosed
- 28.01.2020
- Updated
- 11.10.2026 13:19
Sources and licenses
OSV / GitHub Advisory Database - PYSEC-2020-231 - PyPA Advisory Database; CC BY 4.0
OSV / GitHub Advisory Database - GHSA-g8q7-xv52-hf9f - CC BY 4.0
Vulnerability history: feedgen
All published vulnerabilities of this package (Python (PyPI)), newest first. Shows whether this is a one-off slip or a package that needs watching.
This is the only known vulnerability of this package.
Know which vulnerabilities affect your application
With the DockRay integration and software inventory enabled, DockRay checks reported component versions against known vulnerabilities and notifies you about confirmed matches. Coverage depends on the supported technology and available advisory data.