CVE-2025-8177 is a medium-severity buffer overflow vulnerability identified in the LibTIFF library, specifically affecting versions up to 4.7.0. The vulnerability resides in the setrow function within the tools/thumbnail.c source file. A buffer overflow occurs due to improper handling of data during the manipulation of TIFF image thumbnails. Exploitation requires local access with at least low-level privileges (PR:L) and does not require user interaction or elevated authentication. The vulnerability impacts confidentiality, integrity, and availability to a limited extent due to the local attack vector and the need for prior access. The vulnerability is rated with a CVSS 4.8 score under version 4.0, reflecting its medium severity. Notably, the affected versions of LibTIFF are no longer supported by the maintainer, which complicates remediation efforts. No known exploits are currently observed in the wild, and the patch addressing this issue is identified by commit e8c9d6c616b19438695fd829e58ae4fde5bfbc22. The vulnerability does not affect supported or current versions of LibTIFF, limiting its scope primarily to legacy systems still running outdated versions of the library. Given LibTIFF’s widespread use in image processing applications and software that handle TIFF files, systems relying on outdated versions could be vulnerable to local privilege escalation or denial of service through crafted TIFF files processed locally.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2025-8177 is primarily relevant to environments where legacy software or systems still utilize unsupported versions of LibTIFF up to 4.7.0. Such systems may be found in specialized imaging, archival, or document management solutions that have not been updated or replaced. The local attack requirement reduces the risk of remote exploitation but raises concerns in environments with multiple users or where local access controls are weak. Potential impacts include unauthorized code execution or system crashes caused by buffer overflow, which could lead to data corruption or service disruption. Organizations in sectors such as healthcare, government archives, and media production—where TIFF images are common and legacy systems may persist—are at greater risk. However, the absence of known exploits and the medium severity rating suggest a moderate threat level. Nonetheless, the lack of support for affected versions means that organizations cannot rely on vendor patches and must consider alternative mitigation strategies or upgrade paths to reduce exposure.

European organizations should first conduct an inventory to identify any systems or applications using LibTIFF versions 4.7.0 or earlier. Since these versions are unsupported, applying the official patch may not be straightforward; organizations should consider upgrading to the latest supported LibTIFF version where this vulnerability is resolved. If upgrading is not immediately feasible, organizations should implement strict local access controls to limit the number of users with local privileges, reducing the attack surface. Employ application whitelisting and endpoint protection solutions to detect and prevent exploitation attempts. Additionally, sandboxing or isolating applications that process TIFF files can contain potential exploitation impacts. Regularly monitor logs for unusual local activity related to TIFF file processing. For legacy systems that cannot be upgraded, consider virtual patching via host-based intrusion prevention systems (HIPS) to detect and block suspicious behavior related to the setrow function or TIFF thumbnail processing. Finally, educate IT staff about the risks of using unsupported software components and plan for phased migration to supported software versions.