PatchSiren

PatchSiren cyber security CVE debrief

CVE-2016-5318 Libtiff CVE debrief

CVE-2016-5318 is a stack-based buffer overflow in libtiff’s _TIFFVGetField function. According to the CVE record, libtiff 4.0.6 and earlier are affected, and a crafted TIFF can be used by a remote attacker to crash the application. The NVD CVSS vector marks this as network-reachable but requiring user interaction, with impact limited to availability.

Vendor
Libtiff
Product
CVE-2016-5318
CVSS
MEDIUM 6.5
CISA KEV
Not listed in stored evidence
Original CVE published
2017-01-20
Original CVE updated
2026-05-13
Advisory published
2017-01-20
Advisory updated
2026-05-13

Who should care

Security teams that package, deploy, or embed libtiff; maintainers of applications that parse TIFF files; and defenders responsible for desktop, server, or document-processing systems that accept untrusted image uploads or attachments.

Technical summary

The vulnerability is classified as a CWE-119 memory corruption issue and is described as a stack-based buffer overflow in _TIFFVGetField. NVD records the affected CPE range as libtiff versions up to and including 4.0.6. The stated outcome is a crash of the application when processing a crafted TIFF. NVD’s CVSS 3.0 vector is AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H, indicating remote reachability but requiring user interaction and primarily affecting availability.

Defensive priority

Medium. The issue is severe enough to prioritize if libtiff is exposed to untrusted TIFF content, especially in user-facing or automated file-processing workflows, but the supplied record indicates crash-only impact rather than confidentiality or integrity compromise.

Recommended defensive actions

  • Update libtiff to a version newer than 4.0.6 if your distribution or vendor advisory indicates remediation.
  • Check whether any bundled or embedded libtiff copies exist in applications, libraries, firmware, or containers.
  • Treat untrusted TIFF files as potentially harmful until patched; reduce exposure in upload, preview, conversion, and indexing pipelines.
  • Use vendor or distribution advisories for the specific package version in your environment, such as the Gentoo and Ubuntu references linked in the CVE record.
  • Monitor for unexpected crashes in TIFF-handling components as a signal of possible exposure.

Evidence notes

The CVE description explicitly says the flaw is a stack-based buffer overflow in _TIFFVGetField in libtiff 4.0.6 and earlier, allowing remote attackers to crash the application via a crafted TIFF. NVD lists CWE-119 and the CVSS 3.0 vector AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H. The source references include mailing list posts dated 2016-04-27 and 2016-06-07, plus Gentoo and Ubuntu advisory links.

Official resources

Public references in the CVE record include mailing list posts dated 2016-04-27 and 2016-06-07. The CVE record was published on 2017-01-20 and later modified on 2026-05-13; those dates reflect record metadata, not the original vulnerability