dbcve.org
IrfanviewApplication

CVE-2021-29365

MEDIUM · 5.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2021-09-28
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
58/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
No privileges

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 · unedited
Irfanview 4.57 is affected by an infinite loop when processing a crafted BMP file in the EFFECTS!AutoCrop_W component. This can cause a denial of service (DOS).

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 confidence

IrfanView 4.57 contains an infinite loop vulnerability in the EFFECTS!AutoCrop_W component when processing specially crafted BMP files. The vulnerability triggers during the AutoCrop image processing function, causing the application to enter an endless loop and become unresponsive, resulting in denial of service.

MitigationAvoid opening untrusted or unverified BMP files in IrfanView 4.57. Monitor for vendor patches and update to a patched version when available. Consider restricting file type processing or using application sandboxing for untrusted inputs.

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
IrfanviewApplication
Affected:= 4.57

CVSS 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
None
User interaction
Required
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
None
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Verify IrfanView version 4.57 is installed
    Open IrfanView and go to Help > About, or right-click the irfanview.exe file and view Properties > Details to confirm the version number equals 4.57
    Affected if The installed version is exactly 4.57
  2. Check if BMP files are being opened or processed
    Monitor for .bmp file access or check recent file history within IrfanView for BMP files
    Affected if BMP files have been opened or are being processed in IrfanView 4.57
  3. Confirm AutoCrop feature is invoked
    Look for usage of the AutoCrop function in IrfanView (typically under Effects or Image menu) or check if automated scripts/tools are calling the AutoCrop command on BMP files
    Affected if The AutoCrop function is being executed on a BMP file

A user is affected if IrfanView version 4.57 is installed AND a specially crafted BMP file is processed using the AutoCrop feature, causing an infinite loop and denial of service.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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 · scoped
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Avoid opening untrusted or unverified BMP files in IrfanView 4.57. Monitor for vendor patches and update to a patched version when available. Consider restricting file type processing or using application sandboxing for untrusted inputs.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Latest IrfanView version (currently 4.6x series)

  1. Navigate to the official IrfanView website (irfanview.com) and download the latest version of IrfanView
  2. Run the installer and follow the prompts to update your existing installation
  3. After installation, verify the version by opening IrfanView and checking Help > About
  4. Test with the original crafted BMP file to confirm the infinite loop vulnerability is resolved
Caveat Minimal risk - IrfanView maintains backward compatibility for standard image formats

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Irfanview Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation1.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
7.0 hours of engineering $1,210
Get help mitigating

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,936.

Scan for this in your stack

Free · runs locally
dbcve dependency scanner

Check whether your project pulls in CVE-2021-29365 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.

Get it on GitHub Scan in the browser

References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2021-29365 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.

What this is

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.

What belongs here
  • 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
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data