How severe is CVE-2011-2501?

CVE-2011-2501 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 6.5, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.

Is CVE-2011-2501 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 3% (88th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2011-2501?

CVE-2011-2501 primarily affects Libpng. In total, 8 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2011-2501?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.

When was CVE-2011-2501 published?

CVE-2011-2501 was published on 2011-07-17 and last updated on 2026-06-16.

CVE-2011-2501

CVE-2011-2501 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Libpng with a CVSS 3.x base score of 6.5. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-125.

Key facts

Severity: Medium (CVSS 3.x base score 6.5)
CVSS v2: 4.3
EPSS exploit prediction: 3% (88th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-125
Affected product: Libpng
Published: 2011-07-17
Last modified: 2026-06-16

Description

The png_format_buffer function in pngerror.c in libpng 1.0.x before 1.0.55, 1.2.x before 1.2.45, 1.4.x before 1.4.8, and 1.5.x before 1.5.4 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash) via a crafted PNG image that triggers an out-of-bounds read during the copying of error-message data. NOTE: this vulnerability exists because of a CVE-2004-0421 regression. NOTE: this is called an off-by-one error by some sources.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2011-2501?: The png_format_buffer function in pngerror.c in libpng 1.0.x before 1.0.55, 1.2.x before 1.2.45, 1.4.x before 1.4.8, and 1.5.x before 1.5.4 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash) via a crafted PNG image that triggers an out-of-bounds read during the copying of error-message data. NOTE: this vulnerability exists because of a CVE-2004-0421 regression. NOTE: this is called an off-by-one error by some sources.
How severe is CVE-2011-2501?: CVE-2011-2501 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 6.5, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.
Is CVE-2011-2501 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 3% (88th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2011-2501?: CVE-2011-2501 primarily affects Libpng. In total, 8 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2011-2501?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2011-2501 published?: CVE-2011-2501 was published on 2011-07-17 and last updated on 2026-06-16.

References

Affected products (8)

cpe:2.3:a:libpng:libpng:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:14:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:5.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:6.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:8.04:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:10.04:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:10.10:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:11.04:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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Other CWE-125 (Out-of-bounds Read) vulnerabilities

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