LibtiffApplication

CVE-2012-1173

MEDIUM · 6.8 CVSS v2.0 Published 2012-06-04

Mitigation only

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

See remediation →

77/100

Remediation priority · High

Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

Official description

NVD · unedited

Multiple integer overflows in tiff_getimage.c in LibTIFF 3.9.4 allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted tile size in a TIFF file, which is not properly handled by the (1) gtTileSeparate or (2) gtStripSeparate function, leading to a heap-based buffer overflow.

Technical summary

dbcve analysis · high confidence

LibTIFF 3.9.4 contains multiple integer overflow vulnerabilities in tiff_getimage.c where crafted tile sizes in malicious TIFF files are not properly validated before use in memory allocation calculations. The gtTileSeparate and gtStripSeparate functions fail to check for overflow conditions when processing tile dimensions, leading to heap-based buffer overflows that can be exploited for arbitrary code execution.

MitigationUpgrade to a patched version of LibTIFF that addresses the integer overflow vulnerabilities in tiff_getimage.c, or apply vendor-supplied patches that add proper bounds checking on tile/strip size values before performing arithmetic operations.

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

LibtiffApplication

Affected:= 3.9.4

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.

Check the installed LibTIFF library version

Run `tiffinfo -v` or `tiff2pdf -v` if available, or use `ldd` on a linked binary to find the library path, then check with commands like `dpkg -l libtiff` on Debian systems or `rpm -q libtiff` on RHEL-based systems, or inspect the shared library file directly with `strings` or `readelf`

Affected if The version reported is exactly 3.9.4 (note: the CVE specifies version = 3.9.4 meaning only this exact version is affected)
Verify if LibTIFF processes untrusted TIFF files

Identify applications or services that use LibTIFF to decode or process TIFF images. Check running processes or cron jobs that handle user-uploaded or externally-sourced TIFF files. Common tools include tiff2pdf, tiffinfo, or custom applications linking against libtiff

Affected if The system uses LibTIFF to process TIFF files from untrusted sources, as the vulnerability is triggered during image decoding in gtTileSeparate and gtStripSeparate functions in tiff_getimage.c
Confirm the vulnerable tiff_getimage.c code path is reachable

Since the flaw occurs when parsing maliciously crafted tile dimensions in TIFF files, determine if any automated or user-driven process opens or converts TIFF files. The vulnerable functions handle tile and strip calculations during image decompression

Affected if The system decodes or parses TIFF files using LibTIFF, and those files could contain specially crafted tile/strip size values that trigger integer overflow before memory allocation

A system is affected only if it has LibTIFF version 3.9.4 exactly AND uses it to process untrusted or user-supplied TIFF files that could trigger the integer overflow in tiff_getimage.c during tile/strip dimension handling.

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

Remediation

From vendor data

Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime

Mitigation

Upgrade to a patched version of LibTIFF that addresses the integer overflow vulnerabilities in tiff_getimage.c, or apply vendor-supplied patches that add proper bounds checking on tile/strip size values before performing arithmetic operations.

Fix this in Libtiff Scoped from the published advisory

Consultation3.0 h
Implementation8.0 h
Testing6.0 h
Review / QA3.0 h

20.0 hours of engineering $3,480

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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-2012-1173 in production — separate from our analysis above.

Notes0 Guidelines

Know something about CVE-2012-1173?

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 existsA vendor remedy is published

Severity 6.8 Medium

Exploit likelihood EPSS, next 30 days 6.9%

Affects: Libtiff

Remediation

A high-priority fix

Fix this in Libtiff 20 hrs · Moderate

Typical engagement from $3,480

Get a fix See the full breakdown ↓

A high-priority vulnerability. Send your environment and a specialist will scope CVE-2012-1173 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