# CVE-2016-9273: Libtiff libtiff out-of-bounds read in tiffsplit

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2016-9273-libtiff-libtiff-out-of-bounds-read-in-tiffsplit  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2017-01-18. Updated: 2026-05-13  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2016-9273 · Severity: medium · CVSS 5.5 · Published 2017-01-18

A vulnerability exists in libtiff, a widely used library for processing TIFF image files. By tricking a user into opening a specially crafted image file, an attacker can cause the application to crash, leading to a denial of service. This could disrupt business operations or services that rely on automated image processing.

Technologies: [Libtiff](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/libtiff). Vendors: [Libtiff](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/libtiff).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2016-9273 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2016-9273 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2016-9273?** Medium severity, with a CVSS score of 5.5, published 18 January 2017.

**Which products and versions are affected?** libtiff libtiff 4.0.6.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2016-9273?** A patch was published on 2016-11-10: Fixed in libtiff CVS by Even Rouault Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.

**How is CVE-2016-9273 attacked?** It is attacked with local access, in a software library.

**Am I affected by CVE-2016-9273?** Check whether you run Libtiff. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

## Technical details

An out-of-bounds read (heap-buffer-overflow) exists in the tiffsplit tool of libtiff 4.0.6. The vulnerability is located in the cpStrips function within tiffsplit.c and is triggered when the library is in TIFF_STRIPCHOP mode. The root cause is an incorrect calculation in TIFFNumberOfStrips() where it recomputes strip values instead of using the modified td_nstrips value. An attacker can exploit this by providing a malformed TIFF file with specific strip configurations, leading to a crash (denial of service). The issue was fixed by ensuring TIFFNumberOfStrips() returns the td_nstrips value when it is non-zero.

## Affected products

- libtiff libtiff 4.0.6

## Timeline

- 2016-11-07: other: Vulnerability reported to libtiff bugzilla
- 2016-11-10: patched: Fixed in libtiff CVS by Even Rouault
- 2017-01-18: advisory: NVD publication date

## References

- [http://bugzilla.maptools.org/show_bug.cgi?id=2587](http://bugzilla.maptools.org/show_bug.cgi?id=2587)
- [http://www.debian.org/security/2017/dsa-3762](http://www.debian.org/security/2017/dsa-3762)
- [http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2016/11/09/20](http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2016/11/09/20)
- [http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2016/11/11/6](http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2016/11/11/6)
- [http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/94271](http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/94271)
- [https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/201701-16](https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/201701-16)

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