Debian LinuxOperating system · Debian
CVE-2017-12122
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 · uneditedAn exploitable code execution vulnerability exists in the ILBM image rendering functionality of SDL2_image-2.0.2. A specially crafted ILBM image can cause a heap overflow resulting in code execution. An attacker can display a specially crafted image to trigger this vulnerability.
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 confidenceA heap overflow vulnerability exists in the ILBM image parser of SDL2_image 2.0.2. When rendering a specially crafted ILBM image, the parser fails to properly validate bounds on heap allocations, allowing an attacker to overwrite adjacent memory and potentially execute arbitrary code.
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
Debian LinuxOperating system
= 7.0= 8.0= 9.0= 2.0.2CVSS 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
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
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 SDL2_image versionOn Debian-based systems, run 'dpkg -l | grep libsdl2-image' or check the library file with 'pkg-config --modversion SDL2_image'. On other systems, check the package manager or library version.Affected if The version listed is 2.0.2 exactly, or falls within the Debian 7.0, 8.0, or 9.0 packaged versions that contain SDL2_image 2.0.2.
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Confirm SDL2_image library is in useIdentify applications or services that link against or load SDL2_image at runtime. Search for 'SDL2_image' in running process memory or check linked libraries with 'ldd' on binaries, or inspect configuration files that reference SDL2_image.Affected if Any application or service loads or links the vulnerable SDL2_image library version 2.0.2.
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Determine if ILBM image format parsing is reachableReview application code or configuration to determine whether ILBM (Interleaved Bitmap) format images can be processed. This may involve checking supported image format lists, file input handlers, or user-upload capabilities.Affected if The application can load, parse, or render ILBM format image files, which triggers the vulnerable parser code path in SDL2_image.
A user is affected if their system has SDL2_image version 2.0.2 installed and any application using that library can be induced to load a specially crafted ILBM image file.
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 SDL2_image to version 2.0.3 or later where the vulnerability is patched. If ILBM format support is unnecessary, it can be disabled to reduce attack surface.
Fix this in Debian Linux
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing8.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $4,928.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2017-12122 — 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-2017-12122 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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