---
title: "CVE-2013-6954\n    | Ubuntu"
description: Ubuntu is an open source software operating system that runs from the
  desktop, to the cloud, to all your internet connected things.
url: https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2013-6954?format=md
keywords: index, follow
---

# CVE-2013-6954

Publication date 12 January 2014

Last updated 25 August 2025

---

Ubuntu priority

**Medium**

[Why this priority?](https://ubuntu.com/security/cves/about#priority )

## Cvss 3 Severity Score

**6.5 · Medium**

[Score breakdown](https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2013-6954?format=md#impact-score)

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## Description

The png\_do\_expand\_palette function in libpng before 1.6.8 allows remote
attackers to cause a denial of service (NULL pointer dereference and
application crash) via (1) a PLTE chunk of zero bytes or (2) a NULL
palette, related to pngrtran.c and pngset.c.

[Read the notes from the security team](https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2013-6954?format=md#notes)

## Status

Show unmaintained releases

| Package | Ubuntu Release | Status |
| --- | --- | --- |
| libpng | 13.10 saucy | Not affected |
| 13.04 raring | Not affected |
| 12.10 quantal | Not affected |
| 12.04 LTS precise | Not affected |
| 10.04 LTS lucid | Not affected |
| openjdk-7 | 14.04 LTS trusty | Not in release |
| 13.10 saucy | Ignored end of life |
| 12.10 quantal | Ignored end of life |
| 12.04 LTS precise | Ignored end of life |
| 10.04 LTS lucid | Not in release |

---

* [How can I get the fixes?](https://ubuntu.com/security/cves/about#security)
* [What do statuses mean?](https://ubuntu.com/security/cves/about#statuses)
* [Patch details](https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2013-6954?format=md#patch-details)

## Notes

---

### [mdeslaur](https://launchpad.net/~mdeslaur)

vulnerable code introduced in 1.6.1. In 1.2.x, png\_ptr->palette
is always set in png\_set\_PLTE() in pngset.c.

---

### [jdstrand](https://launchpad.net/~jdstrand)

openjdk uses system png

### Patch details

For informational purposes only. We recommend not to cherry-pick updates. [How can I get the fixes?](https://ubuntu.com/security/cves/about#security)

| Package | Patch details |
| --- | --- |
| libpng | * Upstream:   <http://sourceforge.net/p/libpng/code/ci/1faa6ff32c648acfe3cf30a58d31d7aebc24968c> |

## Severity score breakdown

CVSS version:
CVSS v3.0

**Base score**

6.5 · Medium

* Base metrics

  | Parameter | Value |
  | --- | --- |
  | Attack vector | Network |
  | Attack complexity | Low |
  | Privileges required | None |
  | User interaction | Required |
  | Scope | Unchanged |
  | Confidentiality impact | None |
  | Integrity impact | None |
  | Availability impact | High |
* Scores

  | Parameter | Value |
  | --- | --- |
  | Base score | 6.5 · Medium |
  | Exploitability score | - |
  | Impact score | - |

**Vector:** CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

## References

* [MITRE](https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2013-6954)
* [NVD](https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2013-6954)
* [Launchpad](https://launchpad.net/bugs/cve/CVE-2013-6954)
* [Debian](https://security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2013-6954)

### Other references

* <http://sourceforge.net/mailarchive/message.php?msg_id=31751422>
* <https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2013-6954>