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CVE-2009-2042· NVD / CVE Program· CNA mitre

libpng before 1.2.37 does not properly parse 1-bit interlaced images with width values that are not divisible by 8, which causes libpng to i

Noroxi assessment

Priority: Monitor (action score 18/100)

  • The sources we track (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, Metasploit, Nuclei, GitHub) show no public exploit code or exploitation in the wild.
  • Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days: 2.2% (FIRST EPSS); higher than 82.8% of all records.
  • Fixed version: libpng (Debian:5.0) 1.2.27-2+lenny3; libpng (Red Hat:enterprise_linux:3::as) 2:1.2.2-30; libpng-debuginfo (Red Hat:enterprise_linux:3::as) 2:1.2.2-30.

Low priority for now. Upgrade to libpng (Debian:5.0) 1.2.27-2+lenny3; libpng (Red Hat:enterprise_linux:3::as) 2:1.2.2-30; libpng-debuginfo (Red Hat:enterprise_linux:3::as) 2:1.2.2-30 or later.

Generated automatically from the record's data: CVSS (NVD and CNA), CISA KEV and SSVC, FIRST EPSS, exploit sources, fixed versions. How we calculate it

Primary sources: NVD · CVE.org · FIRST EPSS

libpng before 1.2.37 does not properly parse 1-bit interlaced images with width values that are not divisible by 8, which causes libpng to include uninitialized bits in certain rows of a PNG file and might allow remote attackers to read portions of sensitive memory via "out-of-bounds pixels" in the file.

MediumCVSS 4.3 · v2.0—No exploit Fix available
Published
Jun 12, 2009
Updated
Jun 16, 2026
EPSS
2.2% · 82th percentile

Report tools

JSON

Action score

18

Monitor

Low priority for now.

CVSS
17 / 40 · 4.3 / 10
CISA KEV
0 / 30 · Not listed
EPSS
1 / 30 · 2.2%

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  • Not in KEV: no record of exploitation in the wild
  • No public exploit code on record
  • A fix has been released

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  • when exploit code appears or is weaponized
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  • when EPSS rises 20 points in a week

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Noroxi analysis

What does it mean in your environment?

The assessment above is generated automatically from the record's data; it doesn't know your environment. Our team verifies on your systems whether this vulnerability is actually exploitable and which mitigation is enough.

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Affected systems

Is your version affected?

Pick the product and type the version you run. It's compared with this record's version ranges in your browser; the version isn't sent anywhere.

VendorProduct
libpnglibpng

Affected versions

NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.

  • libpng libpngup to 1.2.35 inclusive
  • libpng libpng0.89c
  • libpng libpng0.95
  • libpng libpng1.0.0
  • libpng libpng1.0.1
  • libpng libpng1.0.10
  • libpng libpng1.0.11
  • libpng libpng1.0.12
  • libpng libpng1.0.13
  • libpng libpng1.0.14
  • libpng libpng1.0.15
  • libpng libpng1.0.16
  • libpng libpng1.0.17
  • libpng libpng1.0.18
  • libpng libpng1.0.19
  • libpng libpng1.0.2
  • libpng libpng1.0.20
  • libpng libpng1.0.21
  • libpng libpng1.0.22
  • libpng libpng1.0.23

Package-level exposure

OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.

EcosystemPackageAffected rangeFix
Debian:5.0libpngbefore 1.2.27-2+lenny31.2.27-2+lenny3
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:3::aslibpngbefore 2:1.2.2-302:1.2.2-30
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:3::aslibpng-debuginfobefore 2:1.2.2-302:1.2.2-30
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:3::aslibpng-develbefore 2:1.2.2-302:1.2.2-30
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:3::aslibpng10before 0:1.0.13-210:1.0.13-21
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:3::aslibpng10-debuginfobefore 0:1.0.13-210:1.0.13-21
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:3::aslibpng10-develbefore 0:1.0.13-210:1.0.13-21
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::aslibpngbefore 2:1.2.7-3.el4_8.32:1.2.7-3.el4_8.3
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::aslibpng-debuginfobefore 2:1.2.7-3.el4_8.32:1.2.7-3.el4_8.3
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::aslibpng-develbefore 2:1.2.7-3.el4_8.32:1.2.7-3.el4_8.3
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::aslibpng10before 0:1.0.16-3.el4_8.40:1.0.16-3.el4_8.4
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::aslibpng10-debuginfobefore 0:1.0.16-3.el4_8.40:1.0.16-3.el4_8.4
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::aslibpng10-develbefore 0:1.0.16-3.el4_8.40:1.0.16-3.el4_8.4
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::client_workstationlibpngbefore 2:1.2.10-7.1.el5_5.32:1.2.10-7.1.el5_5.3
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::client_workstationlibpng-debuginfobefore 2:1.2.10-7.1.el5_5.32:1.2.10-7.1.el5_5.3
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::client_workstationlibpng-develbefore 2:1.2.10-7.1.el5_5.32:1.2.10-7.1.el5_5.3

Same product

libpng: all records

Other highest-scoring records for the same primary product.

  • CVE-2010-1205Buffer overflow in pngpread.c in libpng before 1.2.44 and 1.4.x before 1.4.3, as used in progressive applications, might allow remote attack
    52Plan
  • CVE-2017-12652libpng before 1.6.32 does not properly check the length of chunks against the user limit.
    40Plan
  • CVE-2015-8540Integer underflow in the png_check_keyword function in pngwutil.c in libpng 0.90 through 0.99, 1.0.x before 1.0.66, 1.1.x and 1.2.x before 1
    37Monitor

Published before and after this one in the same product

  • ← EarlierCVE-2008-6218Feb 20, 2009 · Memory leak in the png_handle_tEXt function in pngrutil.c in libpng before 1.2.33 rc02 and 1.4.0 beta36 allows context-dependent attackers t
    29Monitor
  • ← EarlierCVE-2009-0040Feb 22, 2009 · The PNG reference library (aka libpng) before 1.0.43, and 1.2.x before 1.2.35, as used in pngcrush and other applications, allows context-de
    28Monitor
  • Later →CVE-2010-0205Mar 3, 2010 · The png_decompress_chunk function in pngrutil.c in libpng 1.0.x before 1.0.53, 1.2.x before 1.2.43, and 1.4.x before 1.4.1 does not properly
    18Monitor

Remediation

Which version to upgrade to

Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.

Product / packageFixed versionSource
debian:libpng1.2.27-2+lenny3 · Debian:5.0Package registry (OSV)
red hat:libpng2:1.2.2-30 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:3::asPackage registry (OSV)
red hat:libpng-debuginfo2:1.2.2-30 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:3::asPackage registry (OSV)
red hat:libpng-devel2:1.2.2-30 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:3::asPackage registry (OSV)
red hat:libpng100:1.0.13-21 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:3::asPackage registry (OSV)
red hat:libpng10-debuginfo0:1.0.13-21 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:3::asPackage registry (OSV)
red hat:libpng10-devel0:1.0.13-21 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:3::asPackage registry (OSV)

Exploit status

No known public exploit

No public exploit has been observed yet. That doesn't mean you're safe, only that the bar is a little higher.

Research context

For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.

Timeline

From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.

No dated events beyond publication.

EPSS, last 120 days

FIRST EPSS daily score; only changes of 0.01 or more are recorded (step chart).

Patch and commit links

Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.

No commit or PR link among the references.

Credits

All researchers

Finders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.

No credits in the CNA record.

Variant candidates

Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.

No nightly-computed relations.

Chain candidates

An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.

—

Bug bounty scope

No known public program.

Source: bounty-targets-data (public HackerOne, Bugcrowd, Intigriti, YesWeHack listings).

Technical details

Attack conditions

    If successful

    Confidentiality
    P · data can be read
    Integrity
    none
    Availability
    none
    Attack complexity
    M
    Confidentiality impact
    P
    Integrity impact
    None
    Availability impact
    None

    Weakness class (CWE)

    CWE-200 · Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor

    CVSS vector

    AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:P/I:N/A:N

    nvd-primary

    Root cause

    The extension requests broader permissions than its function needs and sends the data it collects out for purposes beyond its stated function.

    The bug in code

    The whole CWE-200 class

    A representative example of this vulnerability class. Not the vendor's source code; it shows the faulty pattern and its fix.

    Vulnerable

    json
    {  "permissions": ["tabs", "<all_urls>"],  "background": { "service_worker": "analytics.js" }}

    Fixed

    json
    {  "permissions": ["activeTab"],  "host_permissions": ["https://yildiz.example/*"]}

    Attack context

    MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.

    Change log

    1. Fix✗ → ✓

    For records you follow, these changes also arrive as notifications. →

    References

    Show all references (19 more)

    Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.

    All records