Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
This flaw is in Exiv2, a library used to read image metadata. A crafted image could make Exiv2 0.26 read memory outside expected bounds, potentially crashing the process or exposing information. The supplied sources do not show active exploitation.
Executive priority
Address during normal vulnerability remediation unless Exiv2 is exposed to public file uploads or business-critical image pipelines. In those cases, prioritize quickly because the likely business impact is service disruption and possible data exposure from file parsing.
Technical view
CVE-2018-9144 is an out-of-bounds read in Exiv2::Internal::binaryToString in image.cpp in Exiv2 0.26. The recorded impacts are denial of service or information disclosure. CVSS, CWE, CPE, and fixed-version details are not provided in the supplied bundle.
Likely exposure
Exposure is most likely where Exiv2 0.26 or software linked to it processes untrusted image files or metadata, such as upload pipelines, media management tools, or desktop/server image utilities. The bundle does not enumerate downstream affected products.
Exploitation context
The references include a GitHub issue and a public PoC repository path, indicating public technical interest. However, KEV is false and the supplied sources do not cite real-world active exploitation. Do not treat it as actively exploited without newer evidence.
Researcher notes
The evidence identifies the vulnerable function, version, and impact class, but lacks CVSS, CWE, CPE, and fixed-version data. Validate exposure through package inventories and dependency scans rather than assuming all image software is affected.
Mitigation direction
- Inventory Exiv2 installations and applications that parse uploaded or external images.
- Check upstream, OS vendor, and Gentoo guidance for the supported fixed package.
- Apply vendor-supported Exiv2 updates where available.
- Restrict or sandbox image metadata parsing for untrusted files.
- Monitor image-processing services for crashes or abnormal metadata parsing failures.
Validation and detection
- Confirm whether Exiv2 0.26 is installed or bundled in deployed software.
- Identify services that process images from users, partners, email, or public sources.
- Verify vendor advisory status and installed package versions after remediation.
- Review logs for crashes during image metadata processing.
- Confirm compensating controls around untrusted image parsing are active.
Public sources used
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
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-2018-9144 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
- https://github.com/Exiv2/exiv2/issues/254CVE reference · x_refsource_MISC
- https://github.com/xiaoqx/pocs/tree/master/exiv2CVE reference · x_refsource_MISC
- GLSA-201811-14CVE reference · vendor-advisory, x_refsource_GENTOO
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.