---
title: "CVE-2016-8866\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-2016-8866?format=md
keywords: index, follow
---

# CVE-2016-8866

Publication date 15 February 2017

Last updated 25 August 2025

---

Ubuntu priority

**Medium**

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

## Cvss 3 Severity Score

**8.8 · High**

[Score breakdown](https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2016-8866?format=md#impact-score)

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## Description

The AcquireMagickMemory function in MagickCore/memory.c in ImageMagick
7.0.3.3 before 7.0.3.8 allows remote attackers to have unspecified impact
via a crafted image, which triggers a memory allocation failure. NOTE:
this vulnerability exists because of an incomplete fix for CVE-2016-8862.

[Read the notes from the security team](https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2016-8866?format=md#notes)

## Status

Show unmaintained releases

| Package | Ubuntu Release | Status |
| --- | --- | --- |
| imagemagick | 16.10 yakkety | Ignored |
| 16.04 LTS xenial | Ignored |
| 14.04 LTS trusty | Ignored |
| 12.04 LTS precise | Ignored |

---

* [How can I get the fixes?](https://ubuntu.com/security/cves/about#security)
* [What do statuses mean?](https://ubuntu.com/security/cves/about#statuses)

## Notes

---

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

incomplete fix of CVE-2016-8862
Upstream says it's an issue with address sanitizer throwing the
error before malloc() and mmap() return failure. Marking as
ignored.

## Severity score breakdown

CVSS version:
CVSS v3.0

**Base score**

8.8 · High

* Base metrics

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

  | Parameter | Value |
  | --- | --- |
  | Base score | 8.8 · High |
  | Exploitability score | - |
  | Impact score | - |

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

## References

* [MITRE](https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2016-8866)
* [NVD](https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-8866)
* [Launchpad](https://launchpad.net/bugs/cve/CVE-2016-8866)
* [Debian](https://security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2016-8866)

### Other references

* <https://blogs.gentoo.org/ago/2016/10/20/imagemagick-memory-allocation-failure-in-acquiremagickmemory-memory-c-incomplete-fix-for-cve-2016-8862/>
* <https://www.imagemagick.org/discourse-server/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=30908#p140255>
* <https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2016-8866>