Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
This is a LibTIFF flaw in the tiffcrop utility. A malicious TIFF file can trigger an out-of-bounds write and crash processing, creating a denial-of-service risk. Business urgency is highest where automated workflows process TIFF files from users, partners, or untrusted sources.
Executive priority
Prioritize routine security patching, escalating for internet-facing upload services, document processing, or partner file-ingestion systems that process TIFF files automatically.
Technical view
CVE-2023-0801 affects LibTIFF up to 4.4.0. The reported out-of-bounds write is in libtiff/tif_unix.c:368, invoked through tools/tiffcrop.c paths. Sources describe denial of service from a crafted TIFF file, with limited integrity impact and high availability impact under CVSS 3.1 score 6.8.
Likely exposure
Exposure is most likely on systems running LibTIFF <=4.4.0 where tiffcrop or dependent image-processing workflows handle TIFF files. Risk is lower where tiffcrop is absent, unused, or isolated from untrusted input.
Exploitation context
The source bundle does not show CISA KEV listing or active exploitation. Public descriptions support crafted-file denial of service, not confirmed remote code execution. Treat exploit status as unconfirmed beyond the reported crash condition.
Researcher notes
Evidence points to CWE-787 in tiffcrop, fixed upstream by commit 33aee127. The available sources name denial of service from crafted TIFF input; they do not substantiate active exploitation, broad product impact, or a specific mitigation beyond patching/backporting.
Mitigation direction
- Upgrade LibTIFF or distribution tiff packages using vendor security advisories.
- For source builds, apply or include upstream commit 33aee127.
- Limit tiffcrop processing of untrusted TIFF files until patched.
- Run image-processing jobs with least privilege and resource isolation.
- Check Debian, Gentoo, NetApp, or relevant vendor guidance for packaged fixes.
Validation and detection
- Inventory hosts and containers for LibTIFF versions <=4.4.0.
- Identify pipelines or applications that call tiffcrop on TIFF input.
- Confirm installed packages include the vendor security update for CVE-2023-0801.
- Review crash or job-failure telemetry around TIFF processing.
- Verify source builds contain commit 33aee127 or an equivalent vendor backport.
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.
CWE-787: Exact CWE lookup
Use the exact CWE identifier as the starting point before reviewing related ATT&CK behavior. Open the exact CWE lookup page first, then review the ATT&CK searches from that MITRE weakness context. This is a Glexia lookup hint, not an official ATT&CK mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2023-0801 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
- Medium
- CVSS
- 6.8 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:H
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 vector scores
1 official scoreWe collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:H2.54.2Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
6.8MediumVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:H
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://gitlab.com/libtiff/libtiff/-/commit/33aee1275d9d1384791d2206776eb8152d397f00CVE reference
- https://gitlab.com/libtiff/libtiff/-/issues/498CVE reference
- https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/cves/-/blob/master/2023/CVE-2023-0801.jsonCVE reference
- [debian-lts-announce] 20230221 [SECURITY] [DLA 3333-1] tiff security updateCVE reference · mailing-list
- DSA-5361CVE reference · vendor-advisory
- https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20230316-0002/CVE reference
- GLSA-202305-31CVE reference · vendor-advisory
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.
Out-of-bounds Write
Out-of-bounds Write represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.