CVE-2020-35522

Process abort via unbounded RGBA allocation

Published Mar 9, 2021 · Updated Aug 4, 2024

Denial of service in LibTIFF 4.2.0 allows local users to abort tiff2rgba by processing a crafted TIFF image. The tool allocates a full-image RGBA raster from untrusted image dimensions without a default allocation ceiling, so allocation failure terminates the process. Execution requires a user or calling workflow to pass the file to tiff2rgba; only that conversion process is interrupted.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability1.57%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Denial of service in LibTIFF 4.2.0 allows local users to abort tiff2rgba by processing a crafted TIFF image. The tool allocates a full-image RGBA raster from untrusted image dimensions without a default allocation ceiling, so allocation failure terminates the process. Execution requires a user or calling workflow to pass the file to tiff2rgba; only that conversion process is interrupted.

The record

CVE
CVE-2020-35522
Published
Mar 9, 2021
Updated
Aug 4, 2024
Vendor
LibTIFF
Product
LibTIFF
Classifications
CWE-119, T1204.002
Attack vector
local
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Mar 9, 2021CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 4, 2024Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=libtiff 4.2.0

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

LibTIFF · LibTIFFversion=libtiff 4.2.0

Published CVSS scores

5.5UbuntuCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
5.5NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

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No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-119Improper Restriction of Operations within the Bounds of a Memory Buffer
T1204.002User Execution: Malicious File

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

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Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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