CVE-2012-4432: Use-after-free vulnerability in opngreduc.c in OptiPNG Hg and 0.7.x before 0.7.3 might allow remote attackers

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HIGH 7.5DOWNGRADE

CVE-2012-4432 is a high-severity flaw (CVSS 7.5) affecting optipng. Below: why it ranks where it does, which versions are affected, what to do, and the exact commands.

Use-after-free vulnerability in opngreduc.c in OptiPNG Hg and 0.7.x before 0.7.3 might allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via unspecified vectors related to "palette reduction."

Why this priority

High severity
EPSS top 7%: very likely to be exploited
Public exploit reference

No fix is published yet: follow the downgrade or mitigation steps.

Risk facts

CVSS score	7.5 (High)
EPSS exploit chance	5.2% (top 7%)
CISA exploited list	No
Weakness	CWE-399
Published	2012-10-01
Last modified	2026-06-16

Publisher (CNA): Red Hat, Inc. · Vendor: optipng

Last updated 2026-06-16 · Sources: CVE Program, NVD, CISA KEV, EPSS and vendor advisories · How we score

Am I affected?

Timeline

2012-10-01 03:26 UTCPublished CVE record published
2026-06-16 23:45 UTCUpdated Record last modified

optipng optipng DOWNGRADE

Affected: 0.7.0 · 0.7.1 · 0.7.2 · hg

Fixed in: no fixed release known

Safe to downgrade to: a release before 0.7.0

1. Check installed version

apt-cache policy optipng || rpm -q optipng || optipng --version

2. No fixed release: DOWNGRADE to a release before 0.7.0 (Debian / Ubuntu)

apt-cache madison optipng sudo apt install optipng=<VERSION_BEFORE_0.7.0> sudo apt-mark hold optipng

2. No fixed release: DOWNGRADE (RHEL / Amazon Linux / Fedora)

dnf --showduplicates list optipng sudo dnf downgrade optipng-<VERSION_BEFORE_0.7.0> sudo dnf versionlock add optipng

Downgrade risk

Downgrading can break dependent software and may reopen older bugs. Read the distro advisory first and test on a non-production host.

After downgrade

Restart the service, and keep the package held until a fixed release ships.

Verify at the official source NVD · CVE Program · Report a problem with this page
Scores and fixes here are computed automatically from those and other public sources. Confirm with the vendor advisory before changing production systems.

Quick answers

How do I fix CVE-2012-4432?

optipng: downgrade or apply the listed mitigation. Exact commands for each OS are on this page.

Is CVE-2012-4432 being exploited?

CVE-2012-4432 is not on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities list at the time of the last update. Check again, as this can change.

What does CVE-2012-4432 affect?

CVE-2012-4432 affects optipng. Severity is high (CVSS 7.5). Use-after-free vulnerability in opngreduc.c in OptiPNG Hg and 0.7.x before 0.7.3 might allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via unspecified vectors related to "palette reduction."

How urgent is CVE-2012-4432?

Priority 54/100. High severity; EPSS top 7%: very likely to be exploited; Public exploit reference

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CVE-2017-1000229 HIGH 7.8 DOWNGRADE MITIGATE Integer overflow bug in function minitiff_read_info() of optipng 0.7.6 allows an attacker to remotely execute
CVE-2016-3982 HIGH 8.8 MITIGATE MITIGATE Off-by-one error in the bmp_rle4_fread function in pngxrbmp.c in OptiPNG before 0.7.6 allows remote attackers
CVE-2016-3981 HIGH 7.8 UPGRADE MITIGATE Heap-based buffer overflow in the bmp_read_rows function in pngxrbmp.c in OptiPNG before 0.7.6 allows remote a

References

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