How severe is CVE-2023-44398?

CVE-2023-44398 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2023-44398 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (57th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2023-44398?

CVE-2023-44398 affects Exiv2. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2023-44398?

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-2023-44398 published?

CVE-2023-44398 was published on 2023-11-06 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2023-44398

CVE-2023-44398 is a high-severity vulnerability in Exiv2 with a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.8. 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-787.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 8.8)
EPSS exploit prediction: 1% (57th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-787
Affected product: Exiv2
Published: 2023-11-06
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

Exiv2 is a C++ library and a command-line utility to read, write, delete and modify Exif, IPTC, XMP and ICC image metadata. An out-of-bounds write was found in Exiv2 version v0.28.0. The vulnerable function, `BmffImage::brotliUncompress`, is new in v0.28.0, so earlier versions of Exiv2 are _not_ affected. The out-of-bounds write is triggered when Exiv2 is used to read the metadata of a crafted image file. An attacker could potentially exploit the vulnerability to gain code execution, if they can trick the victim into running Exiv2 on a crafted image file. This bug is fixed in version v0.28.1. Users are advised to upgrade. There are no known workarounds for this vulnerability.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2023-44398?: Exiv2 is a C++ library and a command-line utility to read, write, delete and modify Exif, IPTC, XMP and ICC image metadata. An out-of-bounds write was found in Exiv2 version v0.28.0. The vulnerable function, `BmffImage::brotliUncompress`, is new in v0.28.0, so earlier versions of Exiv2 are _not_ affected. The out-of-bounds write is triggered when Exiv2 is used to read the metadata of a crafted image file. An attacker could potentially exploit the vulnerability to gain code execution, if they can trick the victim into running Exiv2 on a crafted image file. This bug is fixed in version v0.28.1. Users are advised to upgrade. There are no known workarounds for this vulnerability.
How severe is CVE-2023-44398?: CVE-2023-44398 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2023-44398 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (57th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2023-44398?: CVE-2023-44398 affects Exiv2. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2023-44398?: 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-2023-44398 published?: CVE-2023-44398 was published on 2023-11-06 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:exiv2:exiv2:0.28.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

More vulnerabilities in Exiv2

CVE-2025-26623 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): Exiv2 is a C++ library and a command-line utility to read, write, delete and modify Exif, IPTC, XMP and ICC image…
CVE-2018-11531 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): Exiv2 0.26 has a heap-based buffer overflow in getData in preview.cpp.
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CVE-2018-14046 — High (CVSS 8.8): Exiv2 0.26 has a heap-based buffer over-read in WebPImage::decodeChunks in webpimage.cpp.
CVE-2018-12265 — High (CVSS 8.8): Exiv2 0.26 has an integer overflow in the LoaderExifJpeg class in preview.cpp, leading to an out-of-bounds read in…

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