CVE-2013-6462

CVE-2013-6462 is a critical-severity vulnerability in X Libxfont with a CVSS 2.0 base score of 9.3. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score of 10% places it in the 95th percentile, indicating an elevated likelihood of exploitation. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-119.

Key facts

Description

Stack-based buffer overflow in the bdfReadCharacters function in bitmap/bdfread.c in X.Org libXfont 1.1 through 1.4.6 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) or possibly execute arbitrary code via a long string in a character name in a BDF font file.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2013-6462?
Stack-based buffer overflow in the bdfReadCharacters function in bitmap/bdfread.c in X.Org libXfont 1.1 through 1.4.6 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) or possibly execute arbitrary code via a long string in a character name in a BDF font file.
How severe is CVE-2013-6462?
CVE-2013-6462 has a CVSS 2.0 base score of 9.3, rated critical severity.
Is CVE-2013-6462 being actively exploited?
It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 10% (95th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2013-6462?
CVE-2013-6462 primarily affects X Libxfont. In total, 23 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2013-6462?
Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its critical severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2013-6462 published?
CVE-2013-6462 was published on 2014-01-09 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (23)

More vulnerabilities in X Libxfont

All CVEs affecting X Libxfont →

Other CWE-119 (Improper Restriction of Operations within the Bounds of a Memory Buffer) vulnerabilities

Browse all CWE-119 (Improper Restriction of Operations within the Bounds of a Memory Buffer) vulnerabilities →