CVE-2025-65018: libpng Heap-based Buffer Overflow
Vulnerability summary
CVE-2025-65018 is a high (CVSS 7.1) Heap-based Buffer Overflow vulnerability in libpng. EPSS estimates a 0.26% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 16.5% of scored vulnerabilities. 1 public exploit is recorded.
Advisory lineage
Upstream 0 · Downstream 35 · Related 13Timeline
- 24-11-2025PublishedVulnerability first disclosed.
- 25-11-2025Last modifiedVulnerability information updated.
Description
LIBPNG is a reference library for use in applications that read, create, and manipulate PNG (Portable Network Graphics) raster image files. From version 1.6.0 to before 1.6.51, there is a heap buffer overflow vulnerability in the libpng simplified API function png_image_finish_read when processing 16-bit interlaced PNGs with 8-bit output format. Attacker-crafted interlaced PNG files cause heap writes beyond allocated buffer bounds. This issue has been patched in version 1.6.51.
CVSS metrics
7 scores · 7 sources · 1 version- OSV · AlpineEcosystem advisory · calculated7.1HighCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H
- OSV · UbuntuEcosystem advisory · calculated7.1HighCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H
- OSV · DebianEcosystem advisory · calculated7.1HighCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H
- OSV · WolfiEcosystem advisory · calculated7.1HighCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H
- OSV · ChainguardEcosystem advisory · calculated7.1HighCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H
- NVDNIST7.1HighCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H
EPSS trend
Probability
0.26%
Chance of exploitation in the next 30 days
Percentile
17%
Versus all other CVEs
30-day change
0.00 pp
From 0.26% on 19-09-2026
Known exploited
Compare KEV catalogsNot in any of the 3 tracked catalogs.
Public exploits
1 foundLibpng
Maturity: poc
Weaknesses
CWE · root cause- CWE-122Heap-based Buffer OverflowA heap overflow condition is a buffer overflow, where the buffer that can be overwritten is allocated in the heap portion of memory, generally meaning that the buffer was allocated using a routine such as malloc().
- CWE-787Out-of-bounds WriteThe product writes data past the end, or before the beginning, of the intended buffer.
Affected systems
Alpine1 product
- libpng≥ 1.6.0, < 1.6.53-r0 | ≥ 1.6.0, < 1.6.51-r0
Chainguard1 product
- libpng< 1.6.51-r0
Debian1 product
- libpng1.6< 1.6.39-2+deb12u1 | < 1.6.48-1+deb13u1 | < 1.6.51-1
Libpng1 product
- libpng≥ 1.6.0, < 1.6.51
Pnggroup1 product
- libpng≥ 1.6.0, < 1.6.51
Ubuntu1 product
- libpng1.6< 1.6.20-2ubuntu0.1~esm2 | < 1.6.34-1ubuntu0.18.04.2+esm1 | < 1.6.37-2ubuntu0.1~esm1 | < 1.6.37-3ubuntu0.1 | < 1.6.43-5ubuntu0.1 | < 1.6.50-1ubuntu0.1
Wolfi1 product
- libpng< 1.6.51-r0
7 vendors · 7 products
References
13 links- github.com/pnggroup/libpng/security/advisories/GHSA-7wv6-48j4-hj3gX Refsource CONFIRMREPORTAdvisoryExploitVendor Advisory
- github.com/pnggroup/libpng/commit/16b5e3823918840aae65c0a6da57c78a5a496a4dX Refsource MISCREPORTFIXPatch
- github.com/pnggroup/libpng/commit/218612ddd6b17944e21eda56caf8b4bf7779d1eaX Refsource MISCREPORTFIXPatch
