How severe is CVE-2016-3990?

CVE-2016-3990 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2016-3990 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 4% (89th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2016-3990?

CVE-2016-3990 primarily affects Libtiff. In total, 3 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2016-3990?

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-2016-3990 published?

CVE-2016-3990 was published on 2016-09-21 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2016-3990

CVE-2016-3990 is a high-severity vulnerability in Libtiff with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8. 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-119.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.8)
CVSS v2: 6.8
EPSS exploit prediction: 4% (89th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-119
Affected product: Libtiff
Published: 2016-09-21
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

Heap-based buffer overflow in the horizontalDifference8 function in tif_pixarlog.c in LibTIFF 4.0.6 and earlier allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) or execute arbitrary code via a crafted TIFF image to tiffcp.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2016-3990?: Heap-based buffer overflow in the horizontalDifference8 function in tif_pixarlog.c in LibTIFF 4.0.6 and earlier allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) or execute arbitrary code via a crafted TIFF image to tiffcp.
How severe is CVE-2016-3990?: CVE-2016-3990 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2016-3990 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 4% (89th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2016-3990?: CVE-2016-3990 primarily affects Libtiff. In total, 3 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2016-3990?: 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-2016-3990 published?: CVE-2016-3990 was published on 2016-09-21 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (3)

cpe:2.3:a:libtiff:libtiff:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:oracle:vm_server:3.3:*:*:*:*:*:x86:*
cpe:2.3:o:oracle:vm_server:3.4:*:*:*:*:*:x86:*

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