Analyst readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
A vulnerable libpng parser can crash software when it processes a specially crafted PNG image. The main business risk is denial of service in applications or services that accept or display untrusted PNG files. The sources do not show active exploitation or a confirmed code execution outcome.
Executive priority
Treat as a targeted maintenance and exposure-reduction issue, not an emergency, unless critical systems process untrusted PNGs with legacy libpng. Prioritize patching internet-facing upload and image-processing workflows first.
Technical view
CVE-2011-2692 affects png_handle_sCAL in pngrutil.c in libpng versions before 1.0.55, 1.2.45, 1.4.8, and 1.5.4. Invalid sCAL chunks can trigger reads of uninitialized memory, memory corruption, and application crashes, with unspecified other impact noted but not detailed in the provided sources.
Likely exposure
Exposure is most likely where legacy libpng versions are embedded in operating systems, desktop applications, image processing pipelines, web services, or upload handlers that parse untrusted PNG images.
Exploitation context
The CVE describes remote attack via a crafted PNG image. The provided bundle marks KEV as false and includes no cited evidence of active exploitation, public weaponization, or confirmed exploitation in the wild.
Researcher notes
Evidence supports memory-safety denial of service in libpng sCAL chunk handling. The supplied data lacks CVSS, CWE, exploit maturity, and precise downstream product impact. Avoid assuming affected products beyond software using vulnerable libpng versions.
Mitigation direction
- Upgrade libpng beyond the affected version ranges listed by the CVE.
- Apply relevant operating system vendor security updates for packaged libpng.
- Inventory applications that bundle private or static libpng copies.
- Restrict or isolate processing of untrusted image uploads where upgrades are delayed.
- Check current vendor guidance for any platform-specific remediation details.
Validation and detection
- Identify libpng versions installed by operating system packages.
- Check application builds for statically bundled libpng libraries.
- Review image upload, thumbnailing, and preview services for PNG parsing paths.
- Confirm patched versions meet or exceed 1.0.55, 1.2.45, 1.4.8, or 1.5.4.
- Review crash telemetry for PNG parsing failures if legacy exposure remains.
Public sources used
Based on public source material and reviewed before publication.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.
CVE-2011-2692 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- Unknown
- CVSS
- Not scored
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
CVSS and timeline data
No CVSS vectors or timeline events were available in the normalized CVE source material.
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- 49660CVE reference · third-party-advisory, x_refsource_SECUNIA
- RHSA-2011:1103CVE reference · vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT
- 48618CVE reference · vdb-entry, x_refsource_BID
- 45046CVE reference · third-party-advisory, x_refsource_SECUNIA
- USN-1175-1CVE reference · vendor-advisory, x_refsource_UBUNTU
- MDVSA-2011:151CVE reference · vendor-advisory, x_refsource_MANDRIVA
- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=720612CVE reference · x_refsource_CONFIRM
- http://sourceforge.net/mailarchive/forum.php?thread_name=003101cc2790%24fb5d6e80%24f2184b80%24%40acm.org&forum_name=png-mng-implementCVE reference · x_refsource_CONFIRM
- GLSA-201206-15CVE reference · vendor-advisory, x_refsource_GENTOO
- 45461CVE reference · third-party-advisory, x_refsource_SECUNIA
- http://www.libpng.org/pub/png/libpng.htmlCVE reference · x_refsource_CONFIRM
- http://libpng.git.sourceforge.net/git/gitweb.cgi?p=libpng/libpng%3Ba=commit%3Bh=61a2d8a2a7b03023e63eae9a3e64607aaaa6d339CVE reference · x_refsource_CONFIRM
- FEDORA-2011-9336CVE reference · vendor-advisory, x_refsource_FEDORA
- DSA-2287CVE reference · vendor-advisory, x_refsource_DEBIAN
- APPLE-SA-2011-10-12-3CVE reference · vendor-advisory, x_refsource_APPLE
- 45405CVE reference · third-party-advisory, x_refsource_SECUNIA
- 45445CVE reference · third-party-advisory, x_refsource_SECUNIA
- RHSA-2011:1105CVE reference · vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT
- 45460CVE reference · third-party-advisory, x_refsource_SECUNIA
- [oss-security] 20110713 Security issues fixed in libpng 1.5.4CVE reference · mailing-list, x_refsource_MLIST
- libpng-png-file-dos(68536)CVE reference · vdb-entry, x_refsource_XF
- http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5002CVE reference · x_refsource_CONFIRM
- 45492CVE reference · third-party-advisory, x_refsource_SECUNIA
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.