How severe is CVE-2014-9746?

CVE-2014-9746 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2014-9746 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-2014-9746?

CVE-2014-9746 primarily affects Freetype. In total, 3 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2014-9746?

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-2014-9746 published?

CVE-2014-9746 was published on 2016-06-07 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2014-9746

CVE-2014-9746 is a critical-severity vulnerability in Freetype with a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8. 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-20.

Key facts

Severity: Critical (CVSS 3.x base score 9.8)
CVSS v2: 7.5
EPSS exploit prediction: 3% (87th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-20
Affected product: Freetype
Published: 2016-06-07
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

The (1) t1_parse_font_matrix function in type1/t1load.c, (2) cid_parse_font_matrix function in cid/cidload.c, (3) t42_parse_font_matrix function in type42/t42parse.c, and (4) ps_parser_load_field function in psaux/psobjs.c in FreeType before 2.5.4 do not check return values, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (uninitialized memory access and application crash) or possibly have unspecified other impact via a crafted font.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2014-9746?: The (1) t1_parse_font_matrix function in type1/t1load.c, (2) cid_parse_font_matrix function in cid/cidload.c, (3) t42_parse_font_matrix function in type42/t42parse.c, and (4) ps_parser_load_field function in psaux/psobjs.c in FreeType before 2.5.4 do not check return values, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (uninitialized memory access and application crash) or possibly have unspecified other impact via a crafted font.
How severe is CVE-2014-9746?: CVE-2014-9746 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2014-9746 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-2014-9746?: CVE-2014-9746 primarily affects Freetype. In total, 3 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2014-9746?: 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-2014-9746 published?: CVE-2014-9746 was published on 2016-06-07 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (3)

cpe:2.3:a:freetype:freetype:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:8.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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