VulnerabilityPublished 9 Oct 2023Updated 4 Nov 2025

CVE-2023-44821: gifsicle · CVE-2023-44821 is a denial of service

Affects gifsicleSource CVE Database V5

Not known to be exploited.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 14:05 UTC

Severity

Low

Rated Low by the CNA (mitre) · No CVSS score from NVD or the CNA

EPSS: 0.3% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 25% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.

Exploitation evidence

Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 9 Oct 2023
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors

A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 26 Oct 2026.

Disclosed: The CVE record is public on cve.org. Its publication is t = 0.
Detectable: A public nuclei template can find exposed instances, for defenders and attackers alike.
Weaponised: Public exploit code exists in Metasploit or Exploit-DB, or CISA SSVC or the CVSS exploit maturity reports a public proof of concept.
Exploited in the wild: CISA KEV lists it, CISA SSVC rates exploitation active, or a source reports attacks.
Observed by OffSeq Mirage: OffSeq Mirage honeypot sensors recorded attack traffic for this CVE, or found exposed hosts without attack traffic.

Moments are spaced evenly, not to scale; a dashed line marks a gap of six months or more. Deltas count from t = 0. Sources that give only a date (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, or a time of exactly 00:00Z) read “same day” rather than hours. Metasploit modules carry the flaw’s disclosure date, not their release date, and nuclei templates carry no date, so both appear above but not on the timeline.

What to do

Affected software

Product	Affected	Fixed in
GitHubkohler/gifsicle`pkg:github/kohler/gifsicle`Other threats	Affected <=1.94	Fixed in–

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AI-suggested

Users should evaluate their deployment scenarios to determine if untrusted input can influence Gif_Realloc calls in a long-running process. Given the limited practical risk, no urgent remediation is mandated. Monitor vendor advisories for any future updates.

Description

CVE-2023-44821 is a denial of service vulnerability in gifsicle versions up to 1.94. It arises if untrusted input can influence Gif_Realloc calls, potentially causing excessive memory consumption. However, this issue is disputed because gifsicle is not typically used as a long-running service processing untrusted input continuously, nor is it commonly embedded as a library. Therefore, realistic exploitation scenarios are limited.

Impact

If exploited, this vulnerability could cause denial of service through excessive memory consumption. However, due to the nature of gifsicle's deployment and usage, the risk of exploitation is low and scenarios where an attacker can leverage this vulnerability are not common.

Summary

Gifsicle versions up to 1.94 contain a potential denial of service vulnerability related to memory consumption triggered by untrusted input affecting Gif_Realloc calls. The vulnerability's practical impact is debated due to gifsicle's typical usage patterns, which do not involve unattended operation or library embedding where adversaries control input over extended periods.

References

Community reviews

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Exploitation evidence

What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 25 Oct 2026, 22:28 UTC

Technical details

References

Community reviews

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