LibtiffApplication

CVE-2012-3401

MEDIUM · 6.8 CVSS v2.0 Published 2012-08-13

Fix available

A fix is available. Upgrade to after 4.0.2 or later.

See remediation →

77/100

Remediation priority · High

Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

Official description

NVD · unedited

The t2p_read_tiff_init function in tiff2pdf (tools/tiff2pdf.c) in LibTIFF 4.0.2 and earlier does not properly initialize the T2P context struct pointer in certain error conditions, which allows context-dependent attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) and possibly execute arbitrary code via a crafted TIFF image that triggers a heap-based buffer overflow.

Technical summary

dbcve analysis · high confidence

The t2p_read_tiff_init function in LibTIFF's tiff2pdf tool (tools/tiff2pdf.c) versions 4.0.2 and earlier fails to properly initialize the T2P context struct pointer under certain error conditions. This leads to a heap-based buffer overflow when processing crafted TIFF images, enabling denial of service (crash) and potentially arbitrary code execution by context-dependent attackers.

MitigationUpgrade LibTIFF to a version newer than 4.0.2 which contains the fix. Until then, avoid processing untrusted TIFF images with tiff2pdf and implement input validation on TIFF files.

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:<= 4.0.2= 3.4= 3.5.1= 3.5.2= 3.5.3= 3.5.4= 3.5.5= 3.5.6= 3.5.7= 3.6.0= 3.6.1= 3.7.0

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 if tiff2pdf is installed

Run 'tiff2pdf -v' or 'which tiff2pdf' to locate the binary and obtain its version information

Affected if tiff2pdf is present and its version matches 4.0.2 or earlier, or any of these: 3.4, 3.5.1, 3.5.2, 3.5.3, 3.5.4, 3.5.5, 3.5.6, 3.5.7, 3.6.0, 3.6.1, 3.7.0
Check LibTIFF library version

Run 'pkg-config --modversion libtiff-4' or 'ldd $(which tiff2pdf)' to identify the linked LibTIFF library version, or query your package manager for the installed libtiff package version

Affected if The LibTIFF library version is 4.0.2 or lower, or matches any of the affected versions listed
Identify tiff2pdf usage in your environment

Search for scripts, cron jobs, or applications that invoke tiff2pdf by running 'grep -r tiff2pdf /etc /opt /home' or reviewing application code that processes TIFF files

Affected if tiff2pdf is used to process TIFF images, especially from untrusted or external sources
Inspect TIFF processing workflows

Review any web services, file upload handlers, or document conversion pipelines that accept TIFF input and invoke tiff2pdf

Affected if TIFF files from untrusted sources are processed through tiff2pdf without prior validation or sandboxing

You are affected if tiff2pdf is installed and used to process TIFF images, and the LibTIFF version is 4.0.2 or earlier (including all 3.x versions listed), especially when handling untrusted TIFF files.

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

Remediation

From vendor data

Upgrade available Upgrade to a release after 4.0.2

Interim mitigation

Upgrade LibTIFF to a version newer than 4.0.2 which contains the fix. Until then, avoid processing untrusted TIFF images with tiff2pdf and implement input validation on TIFF files.

Fix this in Libtiff Scoped from the published advisory

Consultation2.0 h
Implementation6.0 h
Testing3.0 h
Review / QA2.0 h

13.0 hours of engineering $2,290

Get the upgrade done

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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-2012-3401 in production — separate from our analysis above.

Notes0 Guidelines

Know something about CVE-2012-3401?

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 existsUpgrade to after 4.0.2 or later

Severity 6.8 Medium

Exploit likelihood EPSS, next 30 days 4.1%

Affects: Libtiff

Remediation

A high-priority fix

Fix this in Libtiff 13 hrs · Moderate

Typical engagement from $2,290

Get a fix See the full breakdown ↓

A high-priority vulnerability. Send your environment and a specialist will scope CVE-2012-3401 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