# CVE-2011-2896: Memory corruption in n/a

> Remote attackers can execute arbitrary code or cause denial of service via a crafted GIF image due to a heap-based buffer overflow in the LZW decompressor.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.1 (`AV:N/AC:H/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 19 Aug 2011
- **Updated:** 6 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2011-2896, GHSA-46mw-xwc9-f8hc, RHSA-2011:1635, RHSA-2012:0302, UBUNTU-CVE-2011-2896

## What is CVE-2011-2896?

CVE-2011-2896 is a medium-severity memory corruption vulnerability in Apple Cups, published on 19 Aug 2011. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

The LZW decompressor in the LWZReadByte function in giftoppm.c in the David Koblas GIF decoder in PBMPLUS, as used in the gif_read_lzw function in filter/image-gif.c in CUPS before 1.4.7, the LZWReadByte function in plug-ins/common/file-gif-load.c in GIMP 2.6.11 and earlier, the LZWReadByte function in img/gifread.c in XPCE in SWI-Prolog 5.10.4 and earlier, and other products, does not properly handle code words that are absent from the decompression table when encountered, which allows remote attackers to trigger an infinite loop or a heap-based buffer overflow, and possibly execute arbitrary code, via a crafted compressed stream, a related issue to CVE-2006-1168 and CVE-2011-2895.

Weakness: CWE-787 (Out-of-bounds Write)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2011-2896?

It affects 3 products.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `cups` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::client | All versions | 1:1.3.7-30.el5 |
| `cups-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::client | All versions | 1:1.3.7-30.el5 |
| `cups-libs` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::client | All versions | 1:1.3.7-30.el5 |
| `cups-lpd` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::client | All versions | 1:1.3.7-30.el5 |
| `cups` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::client_workstation | All versions | 1:1.3.7-30.el5 |
| `cups-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::client_workstation | All versions | 1:1.3.7-30.el5 |
| `cups-devel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::client_workstation | All versions | 1:1.3.7-30.el5 |
| `cups` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::server | All versions | 1:1.3.7-30.el5 |
| `cups-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::server | All versions | 1:1.3.7-30.el5 |
| `cups-devel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::server | All versions | 1:1.3.7-30.el5 |
| `cups-libs` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::server | All versions | 1:1.3.7-30.el5 |
| `cups-lpd` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::server | All versions | 1:1.3.7-30.el5 |
| `cups` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | All versions | 1:1.4.2-44.el6 |
| `cups-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | All versions | 1:1.4.2-44.el6 |
| `cups-devel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | All versions | 1:1.4.2-44.el6 |
| `cups-libs` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | All versions | 1:1.4.2-44.el6 |
| `cups-lpd` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | All versions | 1:1.4.2-44.el6 |
| `cups-php` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | All versions | 1:1.4.2-44.el6 |
| `cups` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::computenode | All versions | 1:1.4.2-44.el6 |
| `cups-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::computenode | All versions | 1:1.4.2-44.el6 |
| `cups-devel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::computenode | All versions | 1:1.4.2-44.el6 |
| `cups-libs` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::computenode | All versions | 1:1.4.2-44.el6 |
| `cups-lpd` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::computenode | All versions | 1:1.4.2-44.el6 |
| `cups-php` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::computenode | All versions | 1:1.4.2-44.el6 |
| `cups` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::server | All versions | 1:1.4.2-44.el6 |
| `cups-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::server | All versions | 1:1.4.2-44.el6 |
| `cups-devel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::server | All versions | 1:1.4.2-44.el6 |
| `cups-libs` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::server | All versions | 1:1.4.2-44.el6 |
| `cups-lpd` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::server | All versions | 1:1.4.2-44.el6 |
| `cups-php` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::server | All versions | 1:1.4.2-44.el6 |
| `cups` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::workstation | All versions | 1:1.4.2-44.el6 |
| `cups-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::workstation | All versions | 1:1.4.2-44.el6 |
| `cups-devel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::workstation | All versions | 1:1.4.2-44.el6 |
| `cups-libs` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::workstation | All versions | 1:1.4.2-44.el6 |
| `cups-lpd` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::workstation | All versions | 1:1.4.2-44.el6 |
| `cups-php` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::workstation | All versions | 1:1.4.2-44.el6 |

Products: Apple Cups, Gimp Gimp, Swi-Prolog Swi-Prolog.

## How do I fix CVE-2011-2896?

Upgrade to a fixed version.

## Is CVE-2011-2896 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2011-2896 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Apple Cups

- [CVE-2008-5184](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2008-5184/): Cross-site request forgery in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2008-3641](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2008-3641/): Memory corruption in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2008-0053](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2008-0053/): Memory corruption in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2012-6094](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2012-6094/): Missing authorization in cups (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2010-2941](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2010-2941/): Use after free in n/a (critical 9.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2011-2896 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2011-2896 is a medium-severity memory corruption vulnerability in Apple Cups, published on 19 Aug 2011. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2011-2896 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Apple Cups. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2011-2896/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2011-2896/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2011-2896
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2011-2896
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2011-2896

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2011-2896/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.