HOMEVULNERABILITIESCVE-2015-8472
HIGH

CVE-2015-8472

CWE-119Published: January 21, 2016· Updated: Jun 17, 2026

7.3
CVSS v3.1

Official Description

Buffer overflow in the png_set_PLTE function in libpng before 1.0.65, 1.1.x and 1.2.x before 1.2.55, 1.3.x, 1.4.x before 1.4.18, 1.5.x before 1.5.25, and 1.6.x before 1.6.20 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash) or possibly have unspecified other impact via a small bit-depth value in an IHDR (aka image header) chunk in a PNG image. NOTE: this vulnerability exists because of an incomplete fix for CVE-2015-8126.

NVD Source

Technical Analysis

CVE-2015-8472 can be exploited remotely over the network without requiring physical or adjacent access, significantly expanding the attack surface for threat actors.

The vulnerability requires no privileges and no user interaction, making it a prime target for automated exploitation campaigns and worm-like propagation.

From a weakness classification perspective (CWE-119): Buffer overflow vulnerabilities can lead to arbitrary code execution or denial of service by corrupting adjacent memory.

CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown

Exploitability
Attack VectorNetwork
Attack ComplexityLow
Privileges Req.None
User InteractionNone
ScopeUnchanged
Impact
ConfidentialityLow
IntegrityLow
AvailabilityLow
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L

Affected Vendors & Products

Apple1 product(s)
mac os x
libpng1 product(s)
libpng
Source: NVD CPE · 114 total CPE entries

Exploit & PoC Resources

NO KNOWN EXPLOITNo public exploit confirmed at this time
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Official Patches & Advisories

All References (62)

Quick Facts

CVE IDCVE-2015-8472
CVSS Score7.3 / 10
SeverityHIGH
WeaknessCWE-119
CISA KEVNo
Affected2 vendor(s)
PublishedJan 21, 2016

Related CVEs (CWE-119)

Recommended Actions

  • Apply vendor patches immediately
  • Monitor CVE-2015-8472 in threat intel feeds
  • Review IDS/IPS signatures for exploitation attempts
Data sourced from NVD (NIST), CISA KEV, and EPSS (FIRST). Analysis generated by CTIWATCH.COM. CVE data is provided under the NVD usage policy.