CVE-2023-2731Public exploit

Application crash via repeated malformed LZW strip decoding

Published May 17, 2023 · Updated Jan 22, 2025

NULL pointer dereference in LibTIFF 4.5.0 allows local users to crash TIFF-processing applications with a crafted LZW-compressed TIFF file. LZWDecode retries a strip missing an end-of-information marker after an earlier decode error, leaving codep NULL before reading codep->value. Processing the crafted file is required; the demonstrated consequence is an application crash, not data disclosure or modification.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.43%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

NULL pointer dereference in LibTIFF 4.5.0 allows local users to crash TIFF-processing applications with a crafted LZW-compressed TIFF file. LZWDecode retries a strip missing an end-of-information marker after an earlier decode error, leaving codep NULL before reading codep->value. Processing the crafted file is required; the demonstrated consequence is an application crash, not data disclosure or modification.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-2731
Published
May 17, 2023
Updated
Jan 22, 2025
Vendor
LibTIFF
Product
LibTIFF
Classifications
CWE-476, T1204.002
Attack vector
local
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. May 17, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Jan 22, 2025Record 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=Fixed in libtiff v4.5.0

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

LibTIFF · LibTIFFversion=Fixed in libtiff v4.5.0

Published CVSS scores

5.5CISA-ADPCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
5.5NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
5.5UbuntuCVSS: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 exploitPublished

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-476NULL Pointer Dereference
T1204.002Malicious File

Public exploit references

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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