CVE-2016-5118: Critical severity imagemagick vulnerability

Published May 30, 2016
·
Updated

All existing releases of GraphicsMagick and ImageMagick support a file open syntax where if the first character of the file specification is a '|', then the remainder of the filename is passed to the shell for execution using the POSIX popen(3C) function. File opening is handled by an OpenBlob() function in the source file blob.c. Unlike the vulnerability described by CVE-2016-3714, this functionality is supported by the core file opening function rather than a delegates subsystem usually used to execute external programs.

References:

http://seclists.org/oss-sec/2016/q2/432

Other sources

The OpenBlob function in blob.c in GraphicsMagick before 1.3.24 and ImageMagick allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a | (pipe) character at the start of a filename.

MITRE

Affected Software

25 affected components
GraphicsMagick Graphicsmagick<=1.3.23
SUSE Linux Enterprise Debuginfo=11-sp4
SUSE Studio onsite=1.3
SUSE Linux Enterprise Software Development Kit=11-sp4
Oracle Solaris=10
Oracle Solaris=11.3
Oracle Linux=6
Oracle Linux=7
openSUSE Leap=42.1
openSUSE openSUSE=13.2
Canonical Ubuntu Linux=12.04
Canonical Ubuntu Linux=14.04
Canonical Ubuntu Linux=15.10
Canonical Ubuntu Linux=16.04
Debian Debian Linux=8.0
SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop=12
SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop=12.0-sp1
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server=12
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server=12.0-sp1
SUSE Linux Enterprise Software Development Kit=12
SUSE Linux Enterprise Software Development Kit=12.0-sp1
SUSE Linux Enterprise Workstation Extension=12
SUSE Linux Enterprise Workstation Extension=12-sp1
ImageMagick ImageMagick<7.0.1-7
ImageMagick ImageMagick

Event History

May 30, 2016
Data Sourced
via Red Hat·10:53 AM
DescriptionSeverityAffected Software
Jun 10, 2016
CVE Published
via MITRE·03:00 PM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·03:00 PM
Description
Free Weekly Intel

Don't miss critical vulnerabilities

Join thousands of security professionals who receive our weekly digest of trending CVEs, zero-days, and exploited vulnerabilities.

No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the severity of CVE-2016-5118?

CVE-2016-5118 has a CVSS score indicating it poses a medium severity risk due to command execution vulnerabilities.

2

How do I fix CVE-2016-5118?

To fix CVE-2016-5118, update to the latest versions of GraphicsMagick and ImageMagick that address this vulnerability.

3

What types of software are affected by CVE-2016-5118?

CVE-2016-5118 affects multiple software including versions of GraphicsMagick, ImageMagick, and various Linux distributions.

4

Can CVE-2016-5118 lead to remote code execution?

Yes, CVE-2016-5118 can lead to remote code execution if an attacker exploits the vulnerable file open syntax.

5

Is there a workaround for CVE-2016-5118 if I cannot update?

A potential workaround for CVE-2016-5118 is to disable or restrict the use of piped file I/O in GraphicsMagick and ImageMagick.

Contact

SecAlerts Pty Ltd.
132 Wickham Terrace
Fortitude Valley,
QLD 4006, Australia
info@secalerts.co
By using SecAlerts services, you agree to our services end-user license agreement. This website is safeguarded by reCAPTCHA and governed by the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. All names, logos, and brands of products are owned by their respective owners, and any usage of these names, logos, and brands for identification purposes only does not imply endorsement. If you possess any content that requires removal, please get in touch with us.
© 2026 SecAlerts Pty Ltd.
ABN: 70 645 966 203, ACN: 645 966 203