CVE-2024-41438 – A heap buffer overflow vulnerability in the cp

📋 TL;DR

A heap buffer overflow vulnerability in the cp_stored() function of hicolor v0.5.0 allows attackers to cause Denial of Service (DoS) by providing a specially crafted PNG file. This affects applications using the vulnerable hicolor library for PNG processing. The vulnerability could potentially lead to application crashes or instability.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

hicolor

Versions: v0.5.0

Operating Systems: All platforms where hicolor is used

Default Config Vulnerable: ⚠️ Yes

Notes: Any application using hicolor v0.5.0 for PNG processing is vulnerable when handling untrusted PNG files.

📦 What is this software?

Hicolor by Dbohdan

View all CVEs affecting Hicolor →

⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact

🔴

Worst Case

Remote code execution if the heap overflow can be leveraged for arbitrary code execution, though this is not confirmed in the CVE description.

🟠

Likely Case

Denial of Service through application crash or instability when processing malicious PNG files.

🟢

If Mitigated

Application crash without further system compromise if proper memory protections are in place.

🌐 Internet-Facing: MEDIUM - Applications accepting PNG uploads from untrusted sources are vulnerable to DoS attacks.

🏢 Internal Only: LOW - Internal systems not processing untrusted PNG files have minimal exposure.

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ⚠️ Yes

Weaponized: LIKELY

Unauthenticated Exploit: ⚠️ Yes

Complexity: LOW

Proof-of-concept available in GitHub repository showing crafted PNG file generation. Exploitation requires the application to process a malicious PNG file.

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: Unknown

Vendor Advisory: No official vendor advisory found

Restart Required: No

Instructions:

1. Check for updated version of hicolor library
2. Replace vulnerable cute_png.h with patched version if available
3. Recompile applications using the library

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Input Validation

all

Implement strict validation of PNG files before processing

Library Replacement

all

Replace hicolor with alternative PNG processing libraries

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Implement strict file upload restrictions for PNG files
Isolate PNG processing to dedicated, monitored systems

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check if application uses hicolor v0.5.0 by examining dependencies or build configuration

Check Version:

Check build configuration or dependency files for hicolor version reference

Verify Fix Applied:

Test with known malicious PNG samples from the PoC repository to ensure no crashes occur

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Application crashes or abnormal terminations when processing PNG files
Memory access violation errors in application logs

Network Indicators:

Unusual PNG file uploads to affected applications

SIEM Query:

source="application_logs" AND ("segmentation fault" OR "access violation" OR "heap corruption") AND "png"

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2024-41438

CVSS v3 Score: 6.2 (MEDIUM)

CVSS Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

CWE: CWE-122

Published: July 30, 2024

Last Updated: September 4, 2025

🔗 References

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