How severe is CVE-2005-2096?

CVE-2005-2096 has a CVSS 2.0 base score of 7.5, rated high severity.

Is CVE-2005-2096 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 5% (92nd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2005-2096?

CVE-2005-2096 primarily affects Zlib. In total, 3 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2005-2096?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.

When was CVE-2005-2096 published?

CVE-2005-2096 was published on 2005-07-06 and last updated on 2026-06-16.

CVE-2005-2096

CVE-2005-2096 is a high-severity vulnerability in Zlib with a CVSS 2.0 base score of 7.5. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 2.0 base score 7.5)
EPSS exploit prediction: 5% (92nd percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Affected product: Zlib
Published: 2005-07-06
Last modified: 2026-06-16

Description

zlib 1.2 and later versions allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) via a crafted compressed stream with an incomplete code description of a length greater than 1, which leads to a buffer overflow, as demonstrated using a crafted PNG file.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2005-2096?: zlib 1.2 and later versions allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) via a crafted compressed stream with an incomplete code description of a length greater than 1, which leads to a buffer overflow, as demonstrated using a crafted PNG file.
How severe is CVE-2005-2096?: CVE-2005-2096 has a CVSS 2.0 base score of 7.5, rated high severity.
Is CVE-2005-2096 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 5% (92nd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2005-2096?: CVE-2005-2096 primarily affects Zlib. In total, 3 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2005-2096?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2005-2096 published?: CVE-2005-2096 was published on 2005-07-06 and last updated on 2026-06-16.

References

Affected products (3)

cpe:2.3:a:zlib:zlib:1.2.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:zlib:zlib:1.2.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:zlib:zlib:1.2.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

More vulnerabilities in Zlib

CVE-2023-45853 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): MiniZip in zlib through 1.3 has an integer overflow and resultant heap-based buffer overflow in zipOpenNewFileInZip4_64…
CVE-2022-37434 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): zlib through 1.2.12 has a heap-based buffer over-read or buffer overflow in inflate in inflate.c via a large gzip…
CVE-2016-9843 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): The crc32_big function in crc32.c in zlib 1.2.8 might allow context-dependent attackers to have unspecified impact via…
CVE-2016-9841 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): inffast.c in zlib 1.2.8 might allow context-dependent attackers to have unspecified impact by leveraging improper…
CVE-2002-0059 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): The decompression algorithm in zlib 1.1.3 and earlier, as used in many different utilities and packages, causes…
CVE-2016-9842 — High (CVSS 8.8): The inflateMark function in inflate.c in zlib 1.2.8 might allow context-dependent attackers to have unspecified impact…

All CVEs affecting Zlib →