How severe is CVE-2011-2690?

CVE-2011-2690 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2011-2690 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 3% (87th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2011-2690?

CVE-2011-2690 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-2011-2690?

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-2011-2690 published?

CVE-2011-2690 was published on 2011-07-17 and last updated on 2026-06-16.

CVE-2011-2690

CVE-2011-2690 is a high-severity vulnerability in Libpng with a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.8. 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-120.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 8.8)
CVSS v2: 6.8
EPSS exploit prediction: 3% (87th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-120
Affected product: Libpng
Published: 2011-07-17
Last modified: 2026-06-16

Description

Buffer overflow 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, when used by an application that calls the png_rgb_to_gray function but not the png_set_expand function, allows remote attackers to overwrite memory with an arbitrary amount of data, and possibly have unspecified other impact, via a crafted PNG image.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2011-2690?: Buffer overflow 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, when used by an application that calls the png_rgb_to_gray function but not the png_set_expand function, allows remote attackers to overwrite memory with an arbitrary amount of data, and possibly have unspecified other impact, via a crafted PNG image.
How severe is CVE-2011-2690?: CVE-2011-2690 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2011-2690 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 3% (87th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2011-2690?: CVE-2011-2690 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-2011-2690?: 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-2011-2690 published?: CVE-2011-2690 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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