How severe is CVE-2021-4214?

CVE-2021-4214 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.5, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.

Is CVE-2021-4214 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (40th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2021-4214?

CVE-2021-4214 primarily affects Libpng. In total, 4 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2021-4214?

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

When was CVE-2021-4214 published?

CVE-2021-4214 was published on 2022-08-24 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2021-4214

CVE-2021-4214 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Libpng with a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.5. 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-120.

Key facts

Severity: Medium (CVSS 3.x base score 5.5)
EPSS exploit prediction: 1% (40th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-120
Affected product: Libpng
Published: 2022-08-24
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

A heap overflow flaw was found in libpngs' pngimage.c program. This flaw allows an attacker with local network access to pass a specially crafted PNG file to the pngimage utility, causing an application to crash, leading to a denial of service.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2021-4214?: A heap overflow flaw was found in libpngs' pngimage.c program. This flaw allows an attacker with local network access to pass a specially crafted PNG file to the pngimage utility, causing an application to crash, leading to a denial of service.
How severe is CVE-2021-4214?: CVE-2021-4214 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.5, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.
Is CVE-2021-4214 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (40th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2021-4214?: CVE-2021-4214 primarily affects Libpng. In total, 4 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2021-4214?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2021-4214 published?: CVE-2021-4214 was published on 2022-08-24 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (4)

cpe:2.3:a:libpng:libpng:1.6.0:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:10.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:11.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:netapp:ontap_select_deploy_administration_utility:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

More vulnerabilities in Libpng

CVE-2017-12652 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): libpng before 1.6.32 does not properly check the length of chunks against the user limit.
CVE-2010-1205 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): Buffer overflow in pngpread.c in libpng before 1.2.44 and 1.4.x before 1.4.3, as used in progressive applications,…
CVE-2018-14550 — High (CVSS 8.8): An issue has been found in third-party PNM decoding associated with libpng 1.6.35. It is a stack-based buffer overflow…
CVE-2015-8540 — High (CVSS 8.8): Integer underflow in the png_check_keyword function in pngwutil.c in libpng 0.90 through 0.99, 1.0.x before 1.0.66,…
CVE-2015-0973 — High (CVSS 8.8): Buffer overflow in the png_read_IDAT_data function in pngrutil.c in libpng before 1.5.21 and 1.6.x before 1.6.16 allows…
CVE-2014-9495 — High (CVSS 8.8): Heap-based buffer overflow in the png_combine_row function in libpng before 1.5.21 and 1.6.x before 1.6.16, when…

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