CVE-2017-14538
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 · uneditedXnView Classic for Windows Version 2.40 allows attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service via a crafted .jb2 file, related to "Data from Faulting Address controls subsequent Write Address starting at jbig2dec+0x0000000000008823."
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 memory corruption vulnerability in XnView Classic's JBIG2 image decoder (jbig2dec) allows arbitrary code execution via a crafted .jb2 file. The vulnerability stems from a write-what-where condition where data from a faulting address controls a subsequent write address, enabling an attacker to manipulate memory and achieve 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= 2.40CVSS 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
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/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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Verify XnView Classic is installedCheck for XnView Classic installation by looking for the executable (xnview.exe) in common installation directories such as C:\Program Files\XnView\ or C:\Program Files (x86)\XnView\, or search for it using the system search feature.Affected if XnView Classic is found on the system
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Determine the installed version of XnView ClassicRight-click the XnView executable, select Properties, and check the Details tab for the Product Version field. Alternatively, open XnView and go to Help > About to view the version number.Affected if The installed version is 2.40
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Confirm JBIG2 codec support is presentCheck for the presence of jbig2dec.dll or similar JBIG2 decoding components in the XnView installation directory. XnView includes built-in image codec support for various formats including JBIG2.Affected if JBIG2 decoder components exist in the XnView installation folder and the application can open .jb2 files
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Identify if .jb2 file association or preview is enabledOpen XnView and attempt to open a .jb2 image file, or check if Windows has file associations configured for .jb2 files pointing to XnView. Examine the codec configuration in XnView under Options > General > Codecs.Affected if XnView is configured to handle or preview .jb2 files, or the application can decode JBIG2 images
A user is affected if XnView Classic version 2.40 is installed with JBIG2 codec support enabled and configured to handle .jb2 files.
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 dataAvoid opening untrusted .jb2 files in XnView Classic. Update to a patched version when released by the vendor. Consider using alternative image viewers or disabling JBIG2 codec support as a workaround until a fix is available.
- Consultation3.0 h
- Implementation6.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA3.0 h
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Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2017-14538 — 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-2017-14538 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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- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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