CVE-2025-55304: Exiv2 has quadratic performance in ICC profile parsing in JpegBase::readMetadata
Impact A denial-of-service was found in Exiv2 version v0.28.5: a quadratic algorithm in the ICC profile parsing code in jpegBase::readMetadata() can cause Exiv2 to run for a long time. Exiv2 is a command-line utility and C++ library for reading, writing, deleting, and modifying the metadata of image files. The denial-of-service is triggered when Exiv2 is used to read the metadata of a crafted jpg image file.
Patches The bug is fixed in version v0.28.6.
References Issue: https://github.com/Exiv2/exiv2/issues/3333 Fixes: https://github.com/Exiv2/exiv2/pull/3335 (main branch), https://github.com/Exiv2/exiv2/pull/3345 (0.28.x branch)
For more information Please see our security policy for information about Exiv2 security.
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Exiv2 is a C++ library and a command-line utility to read, write, delete and modify Exif, IPTC, XMP and ICC image metadata. A denial-of-service was found in Exiv2 version 0.28.5: a quadratic algorithm in the ICC profile parsing code in jpegBase::readMetadata() can cause Exiv2 to run for a long time. The denial-of-service is triggered when Exiv2 is used to read the metadata of a crafted jpg image file. The bug is fixed in version 0.28.6.
— MITRE
Affected Software
Remediation
Patch Available
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Event History
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the severity of CVE-2025-55304?
CVE-2025-55304 is classified as a denial-of-service vulnerability.
What software versions are affected by CVE-2025-55304?
CVE-2025-55304 affects Exiv2 version 0.28.5 and below, including Exiv2 for pip up to and including version 0.17.3.
How do I fix CVE-2025-55304?
To fix CVE-2025-55304, update Exiv2 to version 0.28.6 or later.
What is the main issue caused by CVE-2025-55304?
CVE-2025-55304 can cause Exiv2 to run for an extended time due to a quadratic algorithm in the ICC profile parsing code.
What is Exiv2 used for in relation to CVE-2025-55304?
Exiv2 is a command-line utility and C++ library for reading, writing, deleting, and modifying image metadata, which is impacted by this vulnerability.