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FreetypeApplication

CVE-2011-0226

HIGH · 9.3 CVSS v2.0 Published 2011-07-19
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to after 4.2.8 or later.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

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 · unedited
Integer signedness error in psaux/t1decode.c in FreeType before 2.4.6, as used in CoreGraphics in Apple iOS before 4.2.9 and 4.3.x before 4.3.4 and other products, allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (memory corruption and application crash) via a crafted Type 1 font in a PDF document, as exploited in the wild in July 2011.

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 confidence

Integer signedness error in psaux/t1decode.c in FreeType before 2.4.6 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause memory corruption via a crafted Type 1 font in a PDF document. The vulnerability was actively exploited in the wild in July 2011 and affects CoreGraphics in Apple iOS versions prior to 4.2.9 and 4.3.4.

MitigationUpgrade FreeType to version 2.4.6 or later, or apply vendor-specific patches such as Apple iOS 4.2.9/4.3.4 or later. Audit all applications and systems using FreeType for font processing to identify and remediate vulnerable instances.

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
FreetypeApplication
Affected:<= 2.4.5= 2.2.1= 2.2.10= 2.3.0= 2.3.1= 2.3.2= 2.3.3= 2.3.4= 2.3.5= 2.3.6= 2.3.7= 2.3.8
Iphone OsOperating system
Affected:<= 4.2.8= 1.0.0= 1.0.1= 1.0.2= 1.1.0= 1.1.1= 1.1.2= 1.1.3= 1.1.4= 1.1.5= 2.0= 2.0.0

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.

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? 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 checks

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

  1. Check installed FreeType version on Linux/Unix systems
    Run `freetype-config --version` or `pkg-config --modversion freetype2` to retrieve the library version
    Affected if The version is 2.4.5 or earlier, or matches any of these affected versions: 2.2.1, 2.2.10, 2.3.0 through 2.3.8 (inclusive)
  2. Locate FreeType library file and inspect version
    Find the libfreetype shared library (typically in /usr/lib, /usr/local/lib, or /opt/) and check its version metadata using `strings libfreetype.so.X | grep -i freetype` or by running `ldd` on applications that use FreeType
    Affected if The linked FreeType library version is 2.4.5 or lower, or any of the specific versions listed in the affected range
  3. Identify applications that process fonts or PDF files
    Audit installed software for PDF viewers, document processors, or graphics tools that may use FreeType for Type 1 font rendering (check via `ldd /path/to/application` or examine application dependencies)
    Affected if The system runs any application that loads and parses Type 1 fonts using a vulnerable FreeType version
  4. Check Apple iOS version on mobile devices
    On iPhone or iPad, go to Settings > General > About and check the iOS version number
    Affected if The iOS version is 4.2.8 or earlier, or falls within these affected versions: 1.0.0, 1.0.1, 1.0.2, 1.1.0 through 1.1.5, 2.0, or 2.0.0
  5. Inspect PDF documents for embedded Type 1 fonts
    Use a PDF analysis tool (such as pdfinfo, pdftk, or a hex editor) to examine PDF files for embedded Type 1 font streams - the vulnerability is triggered when FreeType parses specially crafted Type 1 fonts in PDF documents
    Affected if The environment processes untrusted PDF documents containing Type 1 fonts using a vulnerable FreeType version

A system is affected if it runs FreeType version 2.4.5 or earlier (including specific versions 2.2.1, 2.2.10, 2.3.0-2.3.8), or Apple iOS 4.2.8 or earlier, and processes Type 1 fonts from untrusted PDF sources.

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

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to a release after 4.2.8
Interim mitigation

Upgrade FreeType to version 2.4.6 or later, or apply vendor-specific patches such as Apple iOS 4.2.9/4.3.4 or later. Audit all applications and systems using FreeType for font processing to identify and remediate vulnerable instances.

Recommended fix High confidence

FreeType 2.4.6+ or iOS 4.2.9+/4.3.4+ depending on platform

  1. 1. Identify the current FreeType library version in use by checking library files or dependencies
  2. 2. If using FreeType directly, upgrade to version 2.4.6 or later from the official FreeType distribution (freetype.org)
  3. 3. If using FreeType through Apple iOS, upgrade to iOS 4.2.9 or later for iOS 4.2.x devices, or iOS 4.3.4 or later for iOS 4.3.x devices
  4. 4. Rebuild or recompile any applications that link against the FreeType library
  5. 5. Verify the upgrade was successful by checking the new FreeType version or iOS version
Caveat Minor risk: test applications that render Type 1 fonts or PDF documents after upgrade to ensure compatibility

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

Fix this in Freetype Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation6.0 h
  • Implementation12.0 h
  • Testing20.0 h
  • Review / QA8.0 h
46.0 hours of engineering $7,800
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Scan for this in your stack

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

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2011-0226 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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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