CVE-2025-9165: A flaw has been found in LibTIFF 4.7.0. This affects the function _TIFFmallocExt/_TIFFCheckRealloc/TIFFHashSetNew/InitCCITTFax3 of the file tools/tiff...

Description

A flaw has been found in LibTIFF 4.7.0. This affects the function _TIFFmallocExt/_TIFFCheckRealloc/TIFFHashSetNew/InitCCITTFax3 of the file tools/tiffcmp.c of the component tiffcmp. Executing manipulation can lead to memory leak. The attack is restricted to local execution. This attack is characterized by high complexity. It is indicated that the exploitability is difficult. The exploit has been published and may be used. There is ongoing doubt regarding the real existence of this vulnerability. This patch is called ed141286a37f6e5ddafb5069347ff5d587e7a4e0. It is best practice to apply a patch to resolve this issue. A researcher disputes the security impact of this issue, because "this is a memory leak on a command line tool that is about to exit anyway". In the reply the project maintainer declares this issue as "a simple 'bug' when leaving the command line tool and (...) not a security issue at all".

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

2.5/10

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

CVSS 4.0

1.1/10

CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:H/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:L/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:P/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X

EPSS Probability

0.20%

9.5th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Libtiff	Libtiff	4.7.0

References

http://www.libtiff.org/Product
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FWhmkzksH8-qU0ZM6seBzGNB3aPnX3G8/view?usp=sharingExploit
https://gitlab.com/libtiff/libtiff/-/commit/ed141286a37f6e5ddafb5069347ff5d587e7a4e0Patch
https://gitlab.com/libtiff/libtiff/-/issues/728Exploit, Issue Tracking, Vendor Advisory
https://gitlab.com/libtiff/libtiff/-/merge_requests/747Issue Tracking, Patch, Vendor Advisory
https://vuldb.com/?ctiid.320543Permissions Required, VDB Entry
https://vuldb.com/?id.320543Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
https://vuldb.com/?submit.630506Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
https://vuldb.com/?submit.630507Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
https://gitlab.com/libtiff/libtiff/-/issues/728#note_2709263214Exploit, Issue Tracking, Vendor Advisory

Timeline

Published: Aug 19, 2025
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2025-9165?

A flaw has been found in LibTIFF 4.7.0. This affects the function _TIFFmallocExt/_TIFFCheckRealloc/TIFFHashSetNew/InitCCITTFax3 of the file tools/tiffcmp.c of the component tiffcmp. Executing manipulation can lead to memory leak. The attack is restricted to local execution. This attack is characterized by high complexity. It is indicated that the exploitability is difficult. The exploit has been published and may be used. There is ongoing doubt regarding the real existence of this vulnerability. This patch is called ed141286a37f6e5ddafb5069347ff5d587e7a4e0. It is best practice to apply a patch to resolve this issue. A researcher disputes the security impact of this issue, because "this is a memory leak on a command line tool that is about to exit anyway". In the reply the project maintainer declares this issue as "a simple 'bug' when leaving the command line tool and (...) not a security issue at all".

How severe is CVE-2025-9165?

CVE-2025-9165 has a CVSS score of 1.1/10 (LOW severity). The EPSS model estimates a 0.20% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2025-9165?

Check the vendor references and advisories linked above for patched versions and mitigation guidance. You can also run a Strix scan to test if your systems are affected.