---
title: "CVE-2015-1803\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-2015-1803?format=md
keywords: index, follow
---

# CVE-2015-1803

Publication date 18 March 2015

Last updated 24 July 2024

---

Ubuntu priority

**Medium**

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

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## Description

The bdfReadCharacters function in bitmap/bdfread.c in X.Org libXfont before
1.4.9 and 1.5.x before 1.5.1 does not properly handle character bitmaps it
cannot read, which allows remote authenticated users to cause a denial of
service (NULL pointer dereference and crash) and possibly execute arbitrary
code via a crafted BDF font file.

## Status

Show unmaintained releases

| Package | Ubuntu Release | Status |
| --- | --- | --- |
| libxfont | 14.10 utopic | Fixed 1:1.4.99.901-1ubuntu0.1 |
| 14.04 LTS trusty | Fixed 1:1.4.7-1ubuntu0.2 |
| 12.04 LTS precise | Fixed 1:1.4.4-1ubuntu0.3 |
| 10.04 LTS lucid | Fixed 1:1.4.1-1ubuntu0.4 |

---

* [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-2015-1803?format=md#patch-details)

### 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 |
| --- | --- |
| libxfont | * Upstream:   [?id=78c](http://cgit.freedesktop.org/xorg/lib/libXfont/commit/?id=78c2e3d70d29698244f70164428bd2868c0ab34c) |

## References

* [MITRE](https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2015-1803)
* [NVD](https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2015-1803)
* [Launchpad](https://launchpad.net/bugs/cve/CVE-2015-1803)
* [Debian](https://security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2015-1803)

### Related Ubuntu Security Notices (USN)

+ [USN-2536-1](https://usn.ubuntu.com/USN-2536-1)
+ libXfont vulnerabilities
+ 18 March 2015

### Other references

* <http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2015/03/17/5>
* <https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2015-1803>