FreetypeApplication

CVE-2010-3855

MEDIUM · 6.8 CVSS v2.0 Published 2010-11-26

Fix available

A fix is available. Upgrade to after 2.4.3 or later.

See remediation →

77/100

Remediation priority · High

Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

Official description

NVD · unedited

Buffer overflow in the ft_var_readpackedpoints function in truetype/ttgxvar.c in FreeType 2.4.3 and earlier allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash) or possibly execute arbitrary code via a crafted TrueType GX font.

Technical summary

dbcve analysis · moderate confidence

Buffer overflow in FreeType's TrueType GX font parser (ft_var_readpackedpoints in truetype/ttgxvar.c) allows remote attackers to cause denial of service or potentially execute arbitrary code via a crafted malicious TrueType GX font file.

MitigationUpdate FreeType library to a version newer than 2.4.3 (the vulnerability was patched in subsequent versions). Validate and restrict font file sources to trusted files only until the update is applied.

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

FreetypeApplication

Affected:<= 2.4.3= 1.3.1= 2.0.6= 2.0.9= 2.1= 2.1.3= 2.1.4= 2.1.5= 2.1.6= 2.1.7= 2.1.8= 2.1.9

CVSS breakdown

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?

dbcve checks

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

Identify FreeType library installation

Run 'freetype-config --version' or check package manager for freetype/freetype2 package (dpkg -l freetype*, rpm -q freetype, pkg info freetype)

Affected if FreeType is not installed or version cannot be determined
Determine installed FreeType version

Execute 'freetype-config --version' or examine /usr/include/freetype2/freetype/freetype.h for FREETYPE_VERSION macros

Affected if Version is 2.4.3 or lower, or exactly matches any of: 1.3.1, 2.0.6, 2.0.9, 2.1, 2.1.3, 2.1.4, 2.1.5, 2.1.6, 2.1.7, 2.1.8, 2.1.9
Check if TrueType GX font support is enabled

Review application configuration for font loading (e.g., fontconfig settings, application font paths) and verify if applications load TrueType GX variant fonts from truetype/ttgxvar.c module

Affected if Applications process TrueType GX fonts and FreeType version is vulnerable
Identify font file processing context

Audit logs or application behavior for font file loading from untrusted sources (web font uploads, document parsers, image processors using embedded fonts)

Affected if FreeType parses font files from untrusted or user-supplied sources

You are affected if FreeType version is <= 2.4.3 or matches any of the listed vulnerable versions AND your system or applications process TrueType GX font files from potentially untrusted sources.

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

Remediation

From vendor data

Upgrade available Upgrade to a release after 2.4.3

Interim mitigation

Update FreeType library to a version newer than 2.4.3 (the vulnerability was patched in subsequent versions). Validate and restrict font file sources to trusted files only until the update is applied.

Fix this in Freetype Scoped from the published advisory

Consultation2.0 h
Implementation2.0 h
Testing3.0 h
Review / QA1.0 h

8.0 hours of engineering $1,390

Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,224.

Scan for this in your stack

Free · runs locally

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References

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2010-3855 in production — separate from our analysis above.

Notes0 Guidelines

Know something about CVE-2010-3855?

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

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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 existsUpgrade to after 2.4.3 or later

Severity 6.8 Medium

Exploit likelihood EPSS, next 30 days 5.3%

Affects: Freetype

Remediation

A high-priority fix

Fix this in Freetype 8 hrs · Low

Typical engagement from $1,390

Get a fix See the full breakdown ↓

A high-priority vulnerability. Send your environment and a specialist will scope CVE-2010-3855 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