CVE-2013-1991
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 integer overflows in X.org libXxf86dga 1.1.3 and earlier allow X servers to trigger allocation of insufficient memory and a buffer overflow via vectors related to the (1) XDGAQueryModes and (2) XDGASetMode functions.
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 confidenceInteger overflows in libXxf86dga's XDGAQueryModes and XDGASetMode functions allow malicious X servers to cause insufficient memory allocation, leading to buffer overflows. The flaw occurs when the functions fail to properly validate integer values before memory allocation, enabling heap corruption.
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<= 1.1.3= 1.0.1= 1.0.2= 1.0.99.1= 1.0.99.2= 1.1= 1.1.1= 1.1.2CVSS 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.
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Identify installed libXxf86dga versionQuery the installed library version using your system's package manager (dpkg, rpm, etc.) or by checking the library file with commands like 'dpkg -l libxxf86dga' or 'rpm -q libxxf86dga'. Alternatively, use 'ldd' or examine the library binary directly for version information.Affected if The installed version matches any of these: <= 1.1.3, 1.0.1, 1.0.2, 1.0.99.1, 1.0.99.2, 1.1, 1.1.1, or 1.1.2
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Confirm DGA extension availabilityCheck if the DGA (Direct Graphics Access) extension is loaded or available in your X server environment. This can be verified by examining X server logs, using 'xdpyinfo' to list extensions, or checking for the presence of libXxf86dga runtime files.Affected if The DGA extension is present and the library version is in the affected list
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Verify application usage of XDGAQueryModes or XDGASetModeReview application code or monitor runtime behavior for calls to the XDGAQueryModes or XDGASetMode functions. Applications using the DGA extension to query video modes or set direct graphics access modes will trigger the vulnerable code paths.Affected if Any application or tool actively uses the DGA extension functions with an affected library version
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Check X server connection contextExamine logs or network configuration for untrusted X server connections, as the flaw is triggered by malicious X servers. Review X server access control settings (xhost, XAUTHORITY).Affected if Connections from untrusted or remote X servers are permitted and the vulnerable library is in use
You are affected if libXxf86dga version 1.0.1 through 1.1.3 (including the specific versions listed) is installed and any application uses the DGA extension functions while potentially connecting to untrusted X servers.
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 libXxf86dga to a version that includes proper integer overflow validation in XDGAQueryModes and XDGASetMode, or apply vendor patches. Consider restricting X server connections or using X server authentication mechanisms to limit exposure.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2013-1991 — 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-2013-1991 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
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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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