How severe is CVE-2016-6525?

CVE-2016-6525 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-2016-6525 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-2016-6525?

CVE-2016-6525 primarily affects Artifex Mupdf. In total, 2 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2016-6525?

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-2016-6525 published?

CVE-2016-6525 was published on 2016-09-22 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2016-6525

CVE-2016-6525 is a critical-severity vulnerability in Artifex Mupdf 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-119.

Key facts

Severity: Critical (CVSS 3.x base score 9.8)
CVSS v2: 7.5
EPSS exploit prediction: 4% (89th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-119
Affected product: Artifex Mupdf
Published: 2016-09-22
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

Heap-based buffer overflow in the pdf_load_mesh_params function in pdf/pdf-shade.c in MuPDF allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) or execute arbitrary code via a large decode array.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2016-6525?: Heap-based buffer overflow in the pdf_load_mesh_params function in pdf/pdf-shade.c in MuPDF allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) or execute arbitrary code via a large decode array.
How severe is CVE-2016-6525?: CVE-2016-6525 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-2016-6525 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-2016-6525?: CVE-2016-6525 primarily affects Artifex Mupdf. In total, 2 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2016-6525?: 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-2016-6525 published?: CVE-2016-6525 was published on 2016-09-22 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (2)

cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:8.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:artifex:mupdf:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

More vulnerabilities in Artifex Mupdf

CVE-2019-7321 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): Usage of an uninitialized variable in the function fz_load_jpeg in Artifex MuPDF 1.14 can result in a heap overflow…
CVE-2011-0341 — Critical (CVSS 9.3): Stack-based buffer overflow in the pdfmoz_onmouse function in apps/mozilla/moz_main.c in the MuPDF plug-in 2008.09.02…
CVE-2020-16600 — High (CVSS 7.8): A Use After Free vulnerability exists in Artifex Software, Inc. MuPDF library 1.17.0-rc1 and earlier when a valid page…
CVE-2012-5340 — High (CVSS 7.8): SumatraPDF 2.1.1/MuPDF 1.0 allows remote attackers to cause an Integer Overflow in the lex_number() function via a…
CVE-2019-13290 — High (CVSS 7.8): Artifex MuPDF 1.15.0 has a heap-based buffer overflow in fz_append_display_node located at fitz/list-device.c, allowing…
CVE-2018-1000038 — High (CVSS 7.8): In Artifex MuPDF 1.12.0 and earlier, a stack buffer overflow in function pdf_lookup_cmap_full in pdf/pdf-cmap.c could…

All CVEs affecting Artifex Mupdf →

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

CVE-2026-2778 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Sandbox escape due to incorrect boundary conditions in the DOM: Core & HTML component. This vulnerability was fixed in…
CVE-2026-2776 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Sandbox escape due to incorrect boundary conditions in the Telemetry component in External Software. This vulnerability…
CVE-2025-1866 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Improper Restriction of Operations within the Bounds of a Memory Buffer vulnerability in warmcat libwebsockets allows…
CVE-2022-27625 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): A vulnerability regarding improper restriction of operations within the bounds of a memory buffer is found in the…
CVE-2022-27624 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): A vulnerability regarding improper restriction of operations within the bounds of a memory buffer is found in the…
CVE-2020-11896 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): The Treck TCP/IP stack before 6.0.1.66 allows Remote Code Execution, related to IPv4 tunneling.

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