CVE-2018-14047: An issue has been found in PNGwriter 0.7.0

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MEDIUM 5.5DOWNGRADE

CVE-2018-14047 is a medium-severity flaw (CVSS 5.5) affecting pngwriter. Below: why it ranks where it does, which versions are affected, what to do, and the exact commands.

An issue has been found in PNGwriter 0.7.0. It is a SEGV in pngwriter::readfromfile in pngwriter.cc. NOTE: there is a "Warning: PNGwriter was never designed for reading untrusted files with it. Do NOT use this in sensitive environments, especially DO NOT read PNGs from unknown sources with it!" statement in the master/README.md file

Why this priority

Public exploit reference

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

Risk facts

CVSS score	5.5 (Medium)
Attack vector	Local
Attack complexity	Low
Privileges needed	None
User interaction	Required
EPSS exploit chance	0.9% (top 39%)
CISA exploited list	No
Weakness	CWE-119
Published	2018-07-13
Last modified	2026-06-17

Publisher (CNA): MITRE · Vendor: pngwriter project

Last updated 2026-06-17 · Sources: CVE Program, NVD, CISA KEV, EPSS and vendor advisories · How we score

Am I affected?

Timeline

2018-07-13 16:29 UTCPublished CVE record published
2026-06-17 01:40 UTCUpdated Record last modified

pngwriter project pngwriter DOWNGRADE

Affected: 0.7.0

Fixed in: no fixed release known

Safe to downgrade to: a release before 0.7.0

1. Check installed version

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

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

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

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

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

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-2018-14047?

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

Is CVE-2018-14047 being exploited?

CVE-2018-14047 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-2018-14047 affect?

CVE-2018-14047 affects pngwriter. Severity is medium (CVSS 5.5). An issue has been found in PNGwriter 0.7.0. It is a SEGV in pngwriter::readfromfile in pngwriter.cc. NOTE: there is a "Warning: PNGwriter was never designed for reading untrusted files with it. Do NOT use this in sensitive environments, esp

How urgent is CVE-2018-14047?

Priority 40/100. Public exploit reference

References

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