Imlib2Application · Carsten Haitzler

CVE-2008-2426

HIGH · 9.3 CVSS v2.0 Published 2008-06-02

Mitigation only

No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.

See remediation →

100/100

Remediation priority · Urgent

Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

Official description

NVD · unedited

Multiple stack-based buffer overflows in Imlib 2 (aka imlib2) 1.4.0 allow user-assisted remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) or possibly execute arbitrary code via (1) a PNM image with a crafted header, related to the load function in src/modules/loaders/loader_pnm.c; or (2) a crafted XPM image, related to the load function in src/modules/loader_xpm.c.

Technical summary

dbcve analysis · high confidence

Stack-based buffer overflows in imlib2 1.4.0 image loading functions for PNM and XPM formats allow arbitrary code execution when processing specially crafted image files with malformed headers.

MitigationUpdate imlib2 to a patched version or patch the bounds-checking in loader_pnm.c and loader_xpm.c; avoid opening untrusted PNM/XPM images until remediated.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions

NVD · CPE data

Imlib2Application

Affected:= 1.4.0

CVSS breakdown

From the vector

Attack vector: Network
Complexity: M
Authentication: None
Confidentiality: Complete
Integrity: Complete
Availability: Complete

AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C

Am I affected?

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

Identify installed imlib2 version

Run 'imlib2-config --version' or check package manager (dpkg -l libimlib2, rpm -qi imlib2, etc.)

Affected if Version is 1.4.0 exactly
Locate imlib2 loader modules

Find libimlib2 loader files - typically in /usr/lib/imlib2/loaders/ or /usr/lib64/imlib2/loaders/

Affected if loader_pnm.so or loader_xpm.so files exist in the loaders directory
Verify PNM image loader is present

List loader directory contents and confirm loader_pnm.so (or .la) exists

Affected if PNM loader module is present and loadable by the imlib2 library
Verify XPM image loader is present

List loader directory contents and confirm loader_xpm.so (or .la) exists

Affected if XPM loader module is present and loadable by the imlib2 library

Environment is affected if imlib2 version is exactly 1.4.0 AND either the PNM or XPM image loader module is present and functional.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Remediation

dbcve · scoped

Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime

Mitigation

Update imlib2 to a patched version or patch the bounds-checking in loader_pnm.c and loader_xpm.c; avoid opening untrusted PNM/XPM images until remediated.

Recommended fix High confidence

imlib2 version 1.4.1 or later (upgrading to the latest stable release recommended)

1. Identify the current imlib2 version installed on the system using package manager (e.g., dpkg -l | grep imlib2, rpm -qa | grep imlib2, or pkg-config --modversion imlib2)
2. Update system package repository metadata
3. Upgrade imlib2 package using the appropriate package manager (e.g., apt-get update && apt-get install libimlib2-dev, yum update imlib2, or dnf update imlib2)
4. Rebuild any applications that dynamically link against imlib2 to ensure they use the updated library
5. Verify the new version is installed correctly (e.g., pkg-config --modversion imlib2)

Caveat Minimal risk - point release upgrade within same major version typically maintains API/ABI compatibility

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Imlib2 Scoped from the published advisory

Consultation3.0 h
Implementation6.0 h
Testing5.0 h
Review / QA3.0 h

17.0 hours of engineering $2,970

Get help mitigating

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $4,752.

Scan for this in your stack

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References

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2008-2426 in production — separate from our analysis above.

Notes0 Guidelines

Know something about CVE-2008-2426?

The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.

The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
A config change or rule that shut the vector down
A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon

No notes yet

Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.

What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here

Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data

At a glance

A fix existsA vendor remedy is published

Severity 9.3 High

Exploit likelihood EPSS, next 30 days 5.7%

Affects: Imlib2

Remediation

A high-priority fix

Fix this in Imlib2 17 hrs · Moderate

Typical engagement from $2,970

Get a fix See the full breakdown ↓

A high-priority vulnerability. Send your environment and a specialist will scope CVE-2008-2426 and return a fixed quote and timeline.

You’ll deal with our team directly and deploy the reviewed fix to staging first — never straight to production.

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

Check your environment

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

Scan for this in your stack

References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Practitioner notes

No notes yet

Official description

Technical summary

Affected products & versions

CVSS breakdown

Am I affected?

Remediation

References