CVE-2010-0991
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.
NVD · uneditedMultiple heap-based buffer overflows in imlib2 1.4.3 allow context-dependent attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted (1) ARGB, (2) XPM, or (3) BMP file, related to the IMAGE_DIMENSIONS_OK macro in lib/image.h.
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.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceHeap-based buffer overflow vulnerability in imlib2 1.4.3 allows arbitrary code execution via crafted ARGB, XPM, or BMP image files. The flaw exists in the IMAGE_DIMENSIONS_OK macro in lib/image.h, which fails to properly validate image dimensions before processing, leading to heap memory corruption when parsing malicious image files.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
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.
NVD · CPE data= 1.4.3CVSS 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.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- M
- Authentication
- None
- Confidentiality
- Partial
- Integrity
- Partial
- Availability
- Partial
AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P
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.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
-
Identify installed imlib2 versionRun 'pkg-config --modversion imlib2' on Linux systems, or check the package manager (rpm -q imlib2, dpkg -l imlib2) to retrieve the installed version numberAffected if The version reported is exactly 1.4.3
-
Locate imlib2 library fileSearch for libimlib2.so files using 'find /usr -name "libimlib2*" 2>/dev/null' or check /usr/lib/ directory for the shared libraryAffected if The library file exists and was built from version 1.4.3 source code
-
Verify application usage of imlib2Check which applications link against imlib2 by running 'ldd /path/to/application | grep imlib2' or review application dependenciesAffected if Applications that process untrusted images (such as image viewers, editors, or web browsers) are linked to imlib2 version 1.4.3
-
Inspect image processing configurationReview application settings or configuration files to determine if imlib2 is enabled for handling ARGB, XPM, or BMP image formatsAffected if Applications are configured to use imlib2 for parsing untrusted image files in the affected formats
A user is affected if imlib2 version 1.4.3 is installed and applications use it to process untrusted ARGB, XPM, or BMP image files.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
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.
From vendor dataUpdate imlib2 to a version newer than 1.4.3 that includes bounds checking fixes for the IMAGE_DIMENSIONS_OK macro, or if immediate patching is not feasible, restrict input processing to only trusted image sources and disable imlib2 support in applications processing untrusted content.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing8.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $4,928.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2010-0991 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2010-0991 in production — separate from our analysis above.
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.
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.
- 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