How severe is CVE-2018-16643?

CVE-2018-16643 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 6.5, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.

Is CVE-2018-16643 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 3% (86th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2018-16643?

CVE-2018-16643 primarily affects Imagemagick. In total, 5 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2018-16643?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.

When was CVE-2018-16643 published?

CVE-2018-16643 was published on 2018-09-06 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2018-16643

CVE-2018-16643 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Imagemagick with a CVSS 3.x base score of 6.5. 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-252.

Key facts

Severity: Medium (CVSS 3.x base score 6.5)
CVSS v2: 4.3
EPSS exploit prediction: 3% (86th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-252
Affected product: Imagemagick
Published: 2018-09-06
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

The functions ReadDCMImage in coders/dcm.c, ReadPWPImage in coders/pwp.c, ReadCALSImage in coders/cals.c, and ReadPICTImage in coders/pict.c in ImageMagick 7.0.8-4 do not check the return value of the fputc function, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service via a crafted image file.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2018-16643?: The functions ReadDCMImage in coders/dcm.c, ReadPWPImage in coders/pwp.c, ReadCALSImage in coders/cals.c, and ReadPICTImage in coders/pict.c in ImageMagick 7.0.8-4 do not check the return value of the fputc function, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service via a crafted image file.
How severe is CVE-2018-16643?: CVE-2018-16643 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 6.5, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.
Is CVE-2018-16643 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 3% (86th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2018-16643?: CVE-2018-16643 primarily affects Imagemagick. In total, 5 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2018-16643?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2018-16643 published?: CVE-2018-16643 was published on 2018-09-06 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (5)

cpe:2.3:a:imagemagick:imagemagick:7.0.8-4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:14.04:*:*:*:lts:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:16.04:*:*:*:lts:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:18.04:*:*:*:lts:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:8.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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