Debian LinuxOperating system · Debian
CVE-2018-5817
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 · uneditedA type confusion error within the "unpacked_load_raw()" function within LibRaw versions prior to 0.19.1 (internal/dcraw_common.cpp) can be exploited to trigger an infinite loop.
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 type confusion vulnerability in the unpacked_load_raw() function within LibRaw versions before 0.19.1 allows attackers to cause an infinite loop by providing specially crafted image files, leading to denial of service (CVSS 7.5). The type confusion causes incorrect handling of data types during raw image processing, resulting in the loop condition that never terminates.
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
= 8.0< 0.19.1CVSS 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
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- None
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/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 LibRaw versionQuery the installed LibRaw library version using your system's package manager (dpkg -l libraw*, rpm -q libraw, or similar) or by checking the library file (libRaw.so*) if installed as a shared objectAffected if The version displayed is less than 0.19.1 (for example, 0.19.0, 0.18.x, or any version before 0.19.1)
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Confirm library presence in applicationIdentify applications that link against LibRaw by examining application dependencies (ldd on Linux executables, or check build configuration/linking files)Affected if An application links to libRaw and processes raw image files from untrusted sources
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Check for raw image processing usageDetermine whether any application or service in the environment processes raw image files using LibRaw functionality, particularly the unpacked_load_raw() code pathAffected if LibRaw is actively used to process raw image files and those files could originate from external or untrusted sources
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Verify Debian 8.0 baselineIf running Debian Linux 8.0 (Jessie), check the installed LibRaw version specifically since this version is explicitly listed as affectedAffected if The system is Debian 8.0 and contains any version of LibRaw
You are affected if LibRaw version is below 0.19.1 and applications process raw image files using this library, particularly on Debian 8.0.
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 data0.19.1
Upgrade LibRaw to version 0.19.1 or later. For applications using this library, rebuild and redeploy with the patched version to remediate the vulnerability.
Fix this in Debian Linux
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing8.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $4,288.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2018-5817 — 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-2018-5817 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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