# CVE-2018-14550: Out-of-bounds write in libpng

> A stack-based buffer overflow in libpng's PNM decoder allows attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause denial of service via crafted images.

- **Severity:** High 8.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **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:** 10 Jul 2019
- **Updated:** 5 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** ALPINE-CVE-2018-14550, AZL-44014, AZL-45027, CLEANSTART-2026-SS35621, DEBIAN-CVE-2018-14550, GHSA-qwwr-qc2p-6283

## What is CVE-2018-14550?

CVE-2018-14550 is a high-severity memory corruption vulnerability in Libpng Libpng, published on 10 Jul 2019. 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

An issue has been found in third-party PNM decoding associated with libpng 1.6.35. It is a stack-based buffer overflow in the function get_token in pnm2png.c in pnm2png.

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

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2018-14550?

2 open source packages ship an affected version, including libpng. It affects 5 products.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `libpng` | NuGet | All versions | 1.6.37 |
| `libpng` | NuGet | All versions | 1.6.37 |

Products: Libpng Libpng, Netapp Active Iq Unified Manager, Netapp Oncommand Api Services, Oracle Hyperion Infrastructure Technology, Oracle Mysql Workbench.

## How do I fix CVE-2018-14550?

Upgrade libpng to 1.6.37 or later.

## Is CVE-2018-14550 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2018-14550 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Libpng Libpng

- [CVE-2017-12652](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-12652/): Denial of service in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2026-25646](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-25646/): LIBPNG has a heap buffer overflow in png_set_quantize (high 8.3)
- [CVE-2026-33636](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-33636/): LIBPNG has ARM NEON Palette Expansion Out-of-Bounds Read on AArch64 (high 7.6)
- [CVE-2026-33416](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-33416/): LIBPNG has use-after-free via pointer aliasing in `png_set_tRNS` and `png_set_PLTE` (high 7.5)
- [CVE-2016-10087](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-10087/): Null dereference in n/a (high 7.5)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2018-14550 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2018-14550 is a high-severity memory corruption vulnerability in Libpng Libpng, published on 10 Jul 2019. 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-2018-14550 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- libpng (NuGet): affected all versions; fixed in 1.6.37
- libpng (NuGet): affected all versions; fixed in 1.6.37

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-2018-14550/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-14550/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2018-14550
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-14550
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2018-14550

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-14550/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.