# CVE-2017-20286: DevIL through 1.8.0 Heap Buffer Overflow via GIF iGetPalette

> Attackers can execute arbitrary code by supplying a crafted GIF image to applications using the DevIL library, due to a heap buffer overflow.

- **Severity:** High 8.5 (`CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:P/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 14 Oct 2026
- **Updated:** 14 Oct 2026
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2017-20286, GHSA-5rw7-933r-f38v, UBUNTU-CVE-2017-20286

## What is CVE-2017-20286?

CVE-2017-20286 is a high-severity memory corruption vulnerability in DentonW DevIL, published on 14 Oct 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

DevIL through 1.8.0 contains a heap-based buffer overflow in iGetPalette() in il_gif.cpp that allows attackers to write beyond a 768-byte palette buffer when loading GIF images. Attackers can supply a crafted two-frame GIF whose second frame uses disposal method 1 with a local colour table, writing up to 384 controlled bytes past the heap allocation and possibly executing code.

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

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2017-20286?


## How do I fix CVE-2017-20286?

No fix has been published for CVE-2017-20286 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2017-20286 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2017-20286 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2017-20286 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2017-20286 is a high-severity memory corruption vulnerability in DentonW DevIL, published on 14 Oct 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2017-20286 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: DentonW DevIL. 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-2017-20286/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-20286/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2017-20286
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2017-20286
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2017-20286

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-20286/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.