Use After Free in Exiv2
CVE-2025-26623
Exiv2 is a C++ library and a command-line utility to read, write, delete and modify Exif, IPTC, XMP and ICC image metadata. A heap buffer overflow was found in Exiv2 versions v0.28.0 to v0.28.4. Versions prior to v0.28.0, such as v0.27.7, are **not** affected. Exiv2 is a command-line utility and C++ library for reading, writing, deleting, and modifying the metadata of image files. The heap overflow is triggered when Exiv2 is used to write metadata into a crafted image file. An attacker could potentially exploit the vulnerability to gain code execution, if they can trick the victim into running Exiv2 on a crafted image file. Note that this bug is only triggered when writing the metadata, which is a less frequently used Exiv2 operation than reading the metadata. For example, to trigger the bug in the Exiv2 command-line application, you need to add an extra command-line argument such as `fixiso`. The bug is fixed in version v0.28.5. Users are advised to upgrade. There are no known workarounds for this vulnerability.
Vulnerability class: Use-After-Free
Published · last modified .
CVSS v3 metric
CVSS v3 base score 9.8 (Critical). Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H.
EPSS exploit prediction
EPSS: 0.009 (58.6th percentile), scored .
Very low probability of exploitation in the next 30 days; routine patching cadence is appropriate. 59th percentile — 58.6% of CVEs in the catalogue have a lower EPSS than this one. How to read EPSS.
EPSS over last 30 days · oldest: 0.009 · newest: 0.009 · change: 0.000
Affected products
- Exiv2 — versions >= 0.28.0, < 0.28.5
Weakness classification (CWE)
Public proof-of-concept exploits
References
- github.com/Exiv2/exiv2/security/advisories/GHSA-38h4-fx85-qcx7 (Vendor Advisory)
- github.com/Exiv2/exiv2/issues/3168 (Exploit, Issue Tracking)
Frequently asked questions
- What is CVE-2025-26623?
- CVE-2025-26623 is a critical-severity vulnerability in Exiv2, classified under Use After Free. CVSS score: 9.8/10. Published 2025-02-18.
- How severe is CVE-2025-26623?
- Critical severity. CVSS v3 base score is 9.8 out of 10.
- Is CVE-2025-26623 known to be exploited?
- 1 public proof-of-concept repositories are indexed. Not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.