Null-pointer dereference in python-apt TagSection.keys()
Summary
| CVE | CVE-2025-6966 |
|---|---|
| State | PUBLISHED |
| Assigner | canonical |
| Source Priority | CVE Program / NVD first with legacy fallback |
| Published | 2025-12-05 13:16:05 UTC |
| Updated | 2026-09-25 23:10:00 UTC |
| Description | NULL pointer dereference in TagSection.keys() in python-apt on APT-based Linux systems allows a local attacker to cause a denial of service (process crash) via a crafted deb822 file with a malformed non-UTF-8 key. |
Risk And Classification
Primary CVSS: v4.0 6.9 MEDIUM from [email protected]
CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X
Problem Types: CWE-476 | CWE-476 CWE-476 NULL Pointer Dereference
| Version | Source | Type | Score | Severity | Vector |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4.0 | [email protected] | Secondary | 6.9 | MEDIUM | CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/C... |
| 4.0 | CNA | CVSS | 6.9 | MEDIUM | CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N |
| 3.1 | [email protected] | Primary | 5.5 | MEDIUM | CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H |
CVSS v4.0 Breakdown
Attack Vector
LocalAttack Complexity
LowAttack Requirements
NonePrivileges Required
NoneUser Interaction
NoneConfidentiality
NoneIntegrity
NoneAvailability
HighSub Conf.
NoneSub Integrity
NoneSub Availability
NoneCVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X
CVSS v3.1 Breakdown
Attack Vector
LocalAttack Complexity
LowPrivileges Required
LowUser Interaction
NoneScope
UnchangedConfidentiality
NoneIntegrity
NoneAvailability
HighCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
NVD Known Affected Configurations (CPE 2.3)
| Type | Vendor | Product | Version | Update | Edition | Language |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Application | Ubuntu | Python-apt | All | All | All | All |
Vendor Declared Affected Products
| Source | Vendor | Product | Version | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CNA | Canonical | Python-apt | affected 3.0 3.0.0ubuntu1.1 custom | Linux |
| CNA | Canonical | Python-apt | affected 3.0 3.0.0ubuntu0.25.04.1 custom | Linux |
| CNA | Canonical | Python-apt | affected 2.7 2.7.7ubuntu5.1 custom | Linux |
| CNA | Canonical | Python-apt | affected 2.4 2.4.0ubuntu4.1 custom | Linux |
| CNA | Canonical | Python-apt | affected 2.0 2.0.1ubuntu0.20.04.1+esm1 custom | Linux |
| CNA | Canonical | Python-apt | affected 1.6 1.6.6ubuntu0.1~esm1 custom | Linux |
| CNA | Canonical | Python-apt | affected 1.1 1.1.0~beta1ubuntu0.16.04.12+esm1 custom | Linux |
| CNA | Canonical | Python-apt | affected 0.9.3.5ubuntu3+esm5 custom | Linux |
References
| Reference | Source | Link | Tags |
|---|---|---|---|
| lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/12/msg00019.html | af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108 | lists.debian.org | Mailing List, Third Party Advisory |
| bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/python-apt/+bug/2091865 | [email protected] | bugs.launchpad.net | Exploit, Issue Tracking, Third Party Advisory |
| CVE Program record | CVE.ORG | www.cve.org | canonical |
| NVD vulnerability detail | NVD | nvd.nist.gov | canonical, analysis |
Vendor Comments And Credit
Discovery Credit
CNA: Julian Andres Klode (en)
There are currently no legacy QID mappings associated with this CVE.