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PatchSiren cyber security CVE debrief

CVE-2016-9828 Libming CVE debrief

CVE-2016-9828 is a denial-of-service issue in libming’s listswf tool. A crafted SWF file can trigger a NULL pointer dereference in dumpBuffer (read.c), causing the program to crash. The issue is documented by NVD and linked third-party advisories, with the CVE published on 2017-02-17 and later modified on 2026-05-13.

Vendor
Libming
Product
Unknown
CVSS
MEDIUM 5.5
CISA KEV
Not listed in stored evidence
Original CVE published
2017-02-17
Original CVE updated
2026-05-13
Advisory published
2017-02-17
Advisory updated
2026-05-13

Who should care

Administrators, developers, and security teams that use libming or the listswf utility to inspect or process SWF files, especially in workflows where untrusted files may be opened.

Technical summary

NVD identifies a NULL pointer dereference (CWE-476) in dumpBuffer within read.c in libming’s listswf tool. The published vector is CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H, indicating availability impact only and a user interaction requirement. The vulnerable scope in NVD covers libming through version 0.4.7.

Defensive priority

Medium — prioritize if your environment processes untrusted SWF files or still uses libming 0.4.7 or earlier. The main risk is application crash and service interruption.

Recommended defensive actions

  • Upgrade libming to a fixed version if one is available in your distribution or vendor package.
  • Remove or disable listswf in environments that do not need it.
  • Treat SWF files as untrusted input and process them in a restricted, sandboxed environment.
  • Add file-type and integrity checks before opening SWF content in automated pipelines.
  • Monitor for crashes or abnormal exits in tooling that invokes listswf.

Evidence notes

NVD lists the weakness as CWE-476 and the CVSS v3.0 vector AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H. The NVD record and referenced Gentoo blog post describe a NULL pointer dereference in dumpBuffer/read.c in libming’s listswf tool, and the NVD CPE criteria cover libming through 0.4.7. Related references include Openwall oss-security posts and SecurityFocus BID 94627.

Sources and references

Verified primary and authoritative sources

  • CVE-2016-9828 CVE Program record

    Publisher, destination, and source semantics verified

    URL: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2016-9828

    CVE Program - Official CVE Program record with source-provided CVE metadata.

  • CVE-2016-9828 NVD vulnerability detail

    Publisher, destination, and source semantics verified

    URL: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-9828

    NIST National Vulnerability Database - Official NIST NVD detail page and source-specific vulnerability assessment.

Supplemental references

Methodology and review provenance

AI-assisted synthesis based on stored public vulnerability evidence. System validation, approval state, and publication status do not by themselves establish human review of this revision. PatchSiren helps prioritize defensive review and does not prove exposure or remediation on any system.