CVE-2025-64720: pnggroup libpng · Out-of-bounds Read
Affects pnggroup libpngSource CVE Database V5
Not known to be exploited · CVSS 7.1 High : upgrade to 1.6.51 soon.
Data as of 25 Oct 2026, 19:02 UTC
- EPSS
- 0.4% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 38% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
- Patch
- Available – fixed in 1.6.51
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:HExploitation evidence
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 24 Nov 2025
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 2026-10-25.
What to do
Upgrade pnggroup/libpng to 1.6.51.
Affected software
| Product | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
GitHubpnggroup/libpngpkg:github/pnggroup/libpngOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in
|
Check your own hosts for these packages with threat-finder (opens in a new tab), our free open-source scanner.
AI-suggested
European organizations should immediately upgrade libpng to version 1.6.51 or later to eliminate the vulnerability. For software vendors and developers, rebuilding applications with the patched library version is critical. Implement strict validation and sanitization of PNG images, especially those uploaded by users or received from untrusted sources, to detect malformed or suspicious files. Employ runtime protections such as memory safety tools (e.g., AddressSanitizer) during development and testing to catch similar issues early. Network defenses like web application firewalls (WAFs) can be tuned to detect and block suspicious PNG payloads. Educate users and administrators about the risks of opening untrusted image files to reduce the likelihood of exploitation via social engineering. For embedded or IoT devices, coordinate with vendors to ensure timely firmware updates. Continuous monitoring for abnormal application crashes or service disruptions related to image processing can help detect exploitation attempts. Finally, maintain an inventory of software components to identify all instances of vulnerable libpng usage across the organization.
Description
LIBPNG is a reference library for use in applications that read, create, and manipulate PNG (Portable Network Graphics) raster image files. From version 1.6.0 to before 1.6.51, an out-of-bounds read vulnerability exists in png_image_read_composite when processing palette images with PNG_FLAG_OPTIMIZE_ALPHA enabled. The palette compositing code in png_init_read_transformations incorrectly applies background compositing during premultiplication, violating the invariant component ≤ alpha × 257 required by the simplified PNG API. This issue has been patched in version 1.6.51.