Code execution via duplicated TIFF record pointer
Published Sep 25, 2023 · Updated Nov 4, 2025
Use-after-free in Accusoft ImageGear 20.1 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code through a malformed TIFF file. During TIFF_TAG_SUBIFD parsing, an offset equal to the current IFD offset leaves ptr_next_IFD_Record unchanged, stores the same record pointer repeatedly, and later frees that pointer more than once. Exploitation requires an ImageGear-based application to load the crafted file; the resulting invalid-pointer access can execute code in that application's process.
Summary
What happened
Use-after-free in Accusoft ImageGear 20.1 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code through a malformed TIFF file. During TIFF_TAG_SUBIFD parsing, an offset equal to the current IFD offset leaves ptr_next_IFD_Record unchanged, stores the same record pointer repeatedly, and later frees that pointer more than once. Exploitation requires an ImageGear-based application to load the crafted file; the resulting invalid-pointer access can execute code in that application's process.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2023-39453
- Published
- Sep 25, 2023
- Updated
- Nov 4, 2025
- Vendor
- Accusoft
- Product
- ImageGear
- Classifications
- CWE-416, T1203
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Sep 25, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Nov 4, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.
Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=20.1
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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.
Public exploit references
- Talos malformed TIFF proof of conceptproof of concept · demonstrated
Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.
Technologies
Your stack
See the directory against your own environment.
Your stack
Check the software in your environment
Book a demo to see how Hinoki identifies affected software and validates exploitability in your environment.
Book a demo