---
title: "CVE-2015-8978\n    | Ubuntu"
description: Ubuntu is an open source software operating system that runs from the
  desktop, to the cloud, to all your internet connected things.
url: https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2015-8978?format=md
keywords: index, follow
---

# CVE-2015-8978

Publication date 22 November 2016

Last updated 25 August 2025

---

Ubuntu priority

**Low**

[Why this priority?](https://ubuntu.com/security/cves/about#priority )

## Cvss 3 Severity Score

**7.5 · High**

[Score breakdown](https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2015-8978?format=md#impact-score)

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## Description

In Soap Lite (aka the SOAP::Lite extension for Perl) 1.14 and earlier, an
example attack consists of defining 10 or more XML entities, each defined
as consisting of 10 of the previous entity, with the document consisting of
a single instance of the largest entity, which expands to one billion
copies of the first entity. The amount of computer memory used for handling
an external SOAP call would likely exceed that available to the process
parsing the XML.

## Status

Show unmaintained releases

| Package | Ubuntu Release | Status |
| --- | --- | --- |
| libsoap-lite-perl | 19.04 disco | Not affected |
| 18.10 cosmic | Not affected |
| 18.04 LTS bionic | Not affected |
| 17.10 artful | Not affected |
| 17.04 zesty | Not affected |
| 16.10 yakkety | Not affected |
| 16.04 LTS xenial | Not affected |
| 14.04 LTS trusty | Not in release |
| 12.04 LTS precise | Fixed 0.714-1+deb7u1build0.12.04.1 |

---

* [How can I get the fixes?](https://ubuntu.com/security/cves/about#security)
* [What do statuses mean?](https://ubuntu.com/security/cves/about#statuses)
* [Patch details](https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2015-8978?format=md#patch-details)

### Patch details

For informational purposes only. We recommend not to cherry-pick updates. [How can I get the fixes?](https://ubuntu.com/security/cves/about#security)

| Package | Patch details |
| --- | --- |
| libsoap-lite-perl | * Upstream:   [6942fe0](https://github.com/redhotpenguin/soaplite/commit/6942fe0d281be1c32c5117605f9c4e8d44f51124) |

## Severity score breakdown

CVSS version:
CVSS v3.0

**Base score**

7.5 · High

* Base metrics

  | Parameter | Value |
  | --- | --- |
  | Attack vector | Network |
  | Attack complexity | Low |
  | Privileges required | None |
  | User interaction | None |
  | Scope | Unchanged |
  | Confidentiality impact | None |
  | Integrity impact | None |
  | Availability impact | High |
* Scores

  | Parameter | Value |
  | --- | --- |
  | Base score | 7.5 · High |
  | Exploitability score | - |
  | Impact score | - |

**Vector:** CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

## References

* [MITRE](https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2015-8978)
* [NVD](https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2015-8978)
* [Launchpad](https://launchpad.net/bugs/cve/CVE-2015-8978)
* [Debian](https://security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2015-8978)

### Other references

* <http://cpansearch.perl.org/src/PHRED/SOAP-Lite-1.20/Changes>
* <https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2015-8978>