CVE-2015-8221
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 · uneditedInteger overflow in Google Picasa before 3.9.140 Build 259 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via the CAMF section in a FOVb image, which triggers a heap-based buffer overflow.
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 confidenceAn integer overflow vulnerability in Google Picasa versions before 3.9.140 Build 259 exists in the parsing of CAMF metadata within FOVb image files. The overflow occurs due to insufficient validation of size values in the CAMF section, allowing a specially crafted image to trigger a heap-based buffer overflow and achieve arbitrary code execution.
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<= 3.9.140CVSS 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
- Low
- Authentication
- None
- Confidentiality
- Complete
- Integrity
- Complete
- Availability
- Complete
AV:N/AC:L/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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Verify Google Picasa is installedCheck for Picasa installation by looking in Program Files for the Picasa folder, or search for picasa3.exe on the systemAffected if Picasa is present on the system
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Determine installed Picasa versionOpen Picasa and navigate to Help > About Picasa to view the version number and build, or right-click picasa3.exe and select Properties > Details to see the File VersionAffected if The displayed version is 3.9.140 or earlier, or the build number is 259 or lower
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Compare version to affected rangeReview the version and build number identified in the previous step against the affected range: all versions <= 3.9.140 Build 259Affected if Your installed version and build number fall at or below 3.9.140 Build 259
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Assess exposure to FOVb image filesDetermine if the Picasa installation is used to view or import image files, particularly from external or untrusted sources, as the vulnerability is triggered when parsing CAMF metadata in FOVb image filesAffected if Users routinely open FOVb image files from untrusted sources using Picasa
You are affected if Google Picasa version 3.9.140 or earlier (build 259 or lower) is installed and users can open specially crafted FOVb image files with CAMF metadata.
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.
dbcve · scopedUpgrade Picasa to version 3.9.140 Build 259 or later to obtain the patched binary. If the software cannot be updated, implement controls to prevent users from opening untrusted FOVb image files from unknown or untrusted sources.
Picasa 3.9.140 Build 259 or later
- 1. Uninstall the current version of Google Picasa if installed.
- 2. Locate and download Picasa version 3.9.140 Build 259 or later from an official or trusted archive source.
- 3. Verify the file integrity using available checksums if provided.
- 4. Install the downloaded version of Picasa.
- 5. Confirm the installed version by checking Help > About Picasa to verify the build number is 259 or higher.
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation1.0 h
- Implementation1.0 h
- Testing1.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2015-8221 — 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-2015-8221 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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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.
- 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
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