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TI-2025-19560 Aliases CVE-2025-26623GHSA-38h4-fx85-qcx7

Use After Free in Exiv2

Priority MEDIUM 63CWE-416Published · Updated

Key facts

Attack vector
Network
Privileges required
None
User interaction
Passive
Attack complexity
Low
Attack requirements
None
Impact type
—
Confidentiality · integrity · availability
Low · Low · Low
Fix status
Partial Red Hat: 2 fixed, 3 without a fix

Attack profile from CVSS 4.0 · CNA. Fix status from CNA, GitHub and Red Hat.

Summary

Exiv2 is a C++ library and a command-line utility to read, write, delete and modify Exif, IPTC, XMP and ICC image metadata. A heap buffer overflow was found in Exiv2 versions v0.28.0 to v0.28.4. Versions prior to v0.28.0, such as v0.27.7, are **not** affected. Exiv2 is a command-line utility and C++ library for reading, writing, deleting, and modifying the metadata of image files. The heap overflow is triggered when Exiv2 is used to write metadata into a crafted image file. An attacker could potentially exploit the vulnerability to gain code execution, if they can trick the victim into running Exiv2 on a crafted image file. Note that this bug is only triggered when writing the metadata, which is a less frequently used Exiv2 operation than reading the metadata. For example, to trigger the bug in the Exiv2 command-line application, you need to add an extra command-line argument such as `fixiso`. The bug is fixed in version v0.28.5. Users are advised to upgrade. There are no known workarounds for this vulnerability.

Why it matters now

Exploitation Proof of concept CISA SSVC · not in CISA KEV
EPSS 0.00916 60th percentileScored 2026-11-07
Public exploit Yes 1 exploit referenceTagged by NVD
Fix Partial exiv2 (Exiv2): 0.28.5Exiv2 (PyPI): 0.28.5Red Hat: 1 advisoryRed Hat: 2 fixed, 3 without a fix

SSVC decision points

CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3

Exploitation
Poc
Automatable
Yes
Technical impact
Partial

The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.

Affected products

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed inStatusSource
Exiv2exiv20.28.0 to before 0.28.50.28.5Patch availableCNA
—Exiv2 (PyPI)0.28.0 to before 0.28.50.28.5Patch availableGHSA-38h4-fx85-qcx7
  • exiv2 VendorExiv2 Affected 0.28.0 to before 0.28.5 Fixed in 0.28.5 Patch available CNA
  • Exiv2 (PyPI) Vendor— Affected 0.28.0 to before 0.28.5 Fixed in 0.28.5 Patch available GHSA-38h4-fx85-qcx7

CPE configurations NVD · 1

CPEVersionsRoleVendor
cpe:2.3:a:exiv2:exiv2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*0.28.0 to before 0.28.5VulnerableExiv2
  • cpe:2.3:a:exiv2:exiv2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 0.28.0 to before 0.28.5 Vulnerable ·Exiv2

Remediation

  • Fix · CNA exiv2 (Exiv2) Fixed in 0.28.5
  • Fix · GHSA-38h4-fx85-qcx7 Exiv2 (PyPI) Fixed in 0.28.5 Advisory →

Red Hat 1 advisory

  • RHSA-2025:7457 Released 2025-05-13 · Red Hat rating Moderate
    exiv2 security update
    • Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream (v. 10) exiv2-0.28.3-3.el10_0.2, exiv2-libs-0.28.3-3.el10_0.2
    • Red Hat Enterprise Linux CodeReady Linux Builder (v. 10) exiv2-devel-0.28.3-3.el10_0.2, exiv2-doc-0.28.3-3.el10_0.2

Vendor assessments

Red Hat

Red Hat rating: Moderate. Red Hat's page for this CVE →

ProductStatusPlan or fix
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6AffectedNo fix planned: Out of support scope
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7AffectedNo fix planned: Out of support scope
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8AffectedNo fix planned: Out of support scope
Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream (v. 10)Fixed RHSA-2025:7457
Red Hat Enterprise Linux CodeReady Linux Builder (v. 10)Fixed RHSA-2025:7457
Not affected: 1 product
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9

Timeline

  1. 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2025-26623
  2. 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-38h4-fx85-qcx7

References

Exploit 1

Advisory 2

Other 3

  • TI-2020-13478 Buffer Overflow vulnerability in tEXtToDataBuf function in pngimage.cpp in Exiv2 0.27.1… CVSS 3.1HIGH 7.8
  • TI-2020-13491 An uncontrolled memory allocation in DataBufdata(subBox.length-sizeof(box)) function of… CVSS 3.1MEDIUM 6.5
  • TI-2018-08245 Exiv2 0.26 has a heap-based buffer overflow in getData in preview.cpp. CVSS 3.0CRITICAL 9.8
  • TI-2025-33923 Exiv2 Segmentation Faults in Exiv2::EpsImage::writeMetadata() via crafted EPS file CVSS 4.0LOW 1.8
  • TI-2019-06608 An issue was discovered in Exiv2 0.27. CVSS 3.0HIGH 8.8
  • TI-2019-06607 An issue was discovered in Exiv2 0.27. CVSS 3.0HIGH 8.8
See all 123 →

Sources

This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences