Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2023-0803 is a memory corruption flaw in LibTIFF 4.4.0 and earlier affecting the tiffcrop tool. A crafted TIFF file can trigger an out-of-bounds write, causing denial of service and limited integrity impact. Business urgency is highest where systems automatically process TIFF files from users or partners.
Executive priority
Prioritize remediation for systems that ingest TIFF files automatically or support customer uploads. For general endpoints, handle through normal vulnerability management. The main business risk is service disruption in image-processing workflows rather than confirmed widespread exploitation.
Technical view
The issue is CWE-787, an out-of-bounds write in tools/tiffcrop.c around line 3516. The CVSS 3.1 score is 6.8 with local attack vector, low complexity, no privileges, and high availability impact. The source bundle identifies commit 33aee127 as the fix for source builds.
Likely exposure
Exposure is likely on Linux or appliance environments with LibTIFF versions up to 4.4.0, especially where tiffcrop or TIFF processing tools handle externally supplied images. The provided sources also include Debian, Gentoo, and NetApp advisories, indicating downstream packaging impact.
Exploitation context
The provided bundle does not show CISA KEV listing or confirmed active exploitation. The described attack requires a crafted TIFF file reaching vulnerable processing. Treat this as a denial-of-service risk for automated image pipelines, not as proven internet-wide exploitation.
Researcher notes
Evidence is strongest for LibTIFF/tiffcrop <=4.4.0 and the upstream fix commit. The supplied CVSS vector is local, while the practical trigger is processing a crafted TIFF. Avoid assuming broader product impact beyond listed downstream advisories without checking vendor-specific package status.
Mitigation direction
- Upgrade LibTIFF or distribution tiff packages using vendor security advisories.
- For source builds, apply or include commit 33aee127.
- Limit TIFF processing from untrusted sources until patched.
- Run image processing jobs with least privilege and process isolation.
- Check NetApp guidance if affected NetApp products are present.
Validation and detection
- Inventory installed LibTIFF and tiff package versions across assets.
- Identify services, scripts, or batch jobs invoking tiffcrop.
- Confirm packages are newer than affected 4.4.0 builds or vendor-fixed releases.
- Review Debian, Gentoo, or NetApp advisory applicability for managed systems.
- Test patched image-processing workflows with representative benign TIFF files.
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-2023-0803 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/501CVE reference
- https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/cves/-/blob/master/2023/CVE-2023-0803.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.