CVE-2012-3425: The png_push_read_zTXt function in pngpread.c in libpng 1.0.x before 1.0.58, 1.2.x before 1.2.48, 1.4.x bef...

Security readout for executives and security teams

CVE-2012-3425 affects libpng, a common library for reading PNG images. A specially crafted PNG can make affected versions read outside a heap buffer while processing compressed zTXt text data. The documented impact is denial of service, meaning applications that process untrusted PNGs could crash or become unavailable. Exposure is most likely in services, applications, or packaged systems that use affected libpng versions to parse PNG files from users, partners, email, web uploads, or other untrusted sources. Systems that only process trusted PNGs have lower practical risk. Patch during normal vulnerability remediation, with faster handling for exposed image-processing services. Business risk is availability disruption, not confirmed data theft or system takeover based on the provided sources. Mitigation focus: Upgrade libpng beyond the affected version ranges.; Apply vendor packages from supported distributions where libpng is system-managed.; Prioritize internet-facing image upload, conversion, and thumbnailing paths..

Prepared

Jun 27, 2026, 17:28 UTC (UTC+00:00)

Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.