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CVE-2016-5384

fontconfig before 2.12.1 does not validate offsets, which allows local users to trigger arbitrary...

7.8 HighFix available

fontconfig before 2.12.1 does not validate offsets, which allows local users to trigger arbitrary free calls and consequently conduct double free attacks and execute arbitrary code via a crafted cache file.

Attack profile

How easy it is to exploit

Attack vector
Local
Complexity
Low
Privileges needed
Low
User interaction
None

What an attacker can affect

Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

Exploit likelihood

0.40%Down 1.2 points since Feb 4, 2022
90%50%10%1%

What each source reports

NVD Score used 7.8

fontconfig before 2.12.1 does not validate offsets, which allows local users to trigger arbitrary free calls and consequently conduct double free attacks and execute arbitrary code via a crafted cache file.

Record
CVE-2016-5384
CVSS 3.1
7.8 HighCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
CVSS 2.0
4.6 MediumAV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P
Weakness
CWE-415
Updated
2026-11-02
CVE List No score

fontconfig before 2.12.1 does not validate offsets, which allows local users to trigger arbitrary free calls and consequently conduct double free attacks and execute arbitrary code via a crafted cache file.

Record
CVE-2016-5384
Updated
2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2016-6334 No score

fontconfig before 2.12.1 does not validate offsets, which allows local users to trigger arbitrary free calls and consequently conduct double free attacks and execute arbitrary code via a crafted cache file.

Record
EUVD-2016-6334
Updated
2026-11-03
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-g839-937g-3fhv 7.8

fontconfig before 2.12.1 does not validate offsets, which allows local users to trigger arbitrary...

fontconfig before 2.12.1 does not validate offsets, which allows local users to trigger arbitrary free calls and consequently conduct double free attacks and execute arbitrary code via a crafted cache file.

Record
GHSA-g839-937g-3fhv
CVSS 3.1
7.8 HighCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Weakness
CWE-415
Updated
2026-11-02
OSV 7.8

fontconfig before 2.12.1 does not validate offsets, which allows local users to trigger arbitrary free calls and consequently conduct double free attacks and execute arbitrary code via a crafted cache file.

Record
CVE-2016-5384
CVSS 3.1
7.8 HighCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVDEBIAN-CVE-2016-5384 7.8

fontconfig before 2.12.1 does not validate offsets, which allows local users to trigger arbitrary free calls and consequently conduct double free attacks and execute arbitrary code via a crafted cache file.

Record
DEBIAN-CVE-2016-5384
CVSS 3.1
7.8 HighCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Updated
2026-11-02
Show 6 moreShow less
OSVRHSA-2016:2601 4.5

Red Hat Security Advisory: fontconfig security and bug fix update

Record
RHSA-2016:2601
CVSS 3.0
4.5 MediumCVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVUBUNTU-CVE-2016-5384 7.8

fontconfig before 2.12.1 does not validate offsets, which allows local users to trigger arbitrary free calls and consequently conduct double free attacks and execute arbitrary code via a crafted cache file.

Record
UBUNTU-CVE-2016-5384
CVSS 3.1
7.8 HighCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
CVSS 3.0
7.8 HighCVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVMGASA-2016-0287 No score

Updated fontconfig packages fix security vulnerability

Tobias Stoeckmann discovered that cache files are insufficiently validated in fontconfig, a generic font configuration library. An attacker can trigger arbitrary free() calls, which in turn allows double free attacks and therefore arbitrary code execution. In combination with setuid binaries using crafted cache files, this could allow privilege escalation (CVE-2016-5384).

Record
MGASA-2016-0287
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVSUSE-SU-2016:2186-1 No score

Security update for fontconfig

This update for fontconfig fixes the following issues:

  • security update:
    • CVE-2016-5384: Possible double free due to insufficiently validated cache files [bsc#992534]
Record
SUSE-SU-2016:2186-1
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVSUSE-SU-2016:2190-1 No score

Security update for fontconfig

This update for fontconfig fixes the following issues:

  • security update:
    • CVE-2016-5384: Possible double free due to insufficiently validated cache files [bsc#992534]
Record
SUSE-SU-2016:2190-1
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVUSN-3063-1 No score

fontconfig vulnerability

Tobias Stoeckmann discovered that Fontconfig incorrectly handled cache files. A local attacker could possibly use this issue with a specially crafted cache file to elevate privileges.

Record
USN-3063-1
Updated
2026-11-02

Affected products

Affected packages

Affected packages
PackageAffectedFixed
fontconfig
Debian:12
 before 2.11.0-6.5
2.11.0-6.5
fontconfig
Debian:13
 before 2.11.0-6.5
2.11.0-6.5
fontconfig
Debian:14
 before 2.11.0-6.5
2.11.0-6.5
fontconfig
Debian:7
 before 2.9.0-7.1+deb7u1, plus listed versions
2.9.0-7.1
2.9.0-7.1+deb7u1
fontconfig
Debian:8
 before 2.11.0-6.3+deb8u1, plus listed versions
2.11.0-6.32.11.0-6.3+deb8u1~kbsd8u1
2.11.0-6.3+deb8u1
fontconfig
Mageia:5
 before 2.11.1-4.1.mga5
2.11.1-4.1.mga5
fontconfig-debuginfo
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client
 before 0:2.10.95-10.el7
0:2.10.95-10.el7
fontconfig-devel
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client
 before 0:2.10.95-10.el7
0:2.10.95-10.el7
fontconfig-devel-doc
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client
 before 0:2.10.95-10.el7
0:2.10.95-10.el7
fontconfig
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client
 before 0:2.10.95-10.el7
0:2.10.95-10.el7
Show 21 moreShow less
Affected packages
PackageAffectedFixed
fontconfig-debuginfo
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::computenode
 before 0:2.10.95-10.el7
0:2.10.95-10.el7
fontconfig-devel
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::computenode
 before 0:2.10.95-10.el7
0:2.10.95-10.el7
fontconfig-devel-doc
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::computenode
 before 0:2.10.95-10.el7
0:2.10.95-10.el7
fontconfig
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::computenode
 before 0:2.10.95-10.el7
0:2.10.95-10.el7
fontconfig-devel-doc
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::server
 before 0:2.10.95-10.el7
0:2.10.95-10.el7
fontconfig
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::server
 before 0:2.10.95-10.el7
0:2.10.95-10.el7
fontconfig-debuginfo
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::server
 before 0:2.10.95-10.el7
0:2.10.95-10.el7
fontconfig-devel
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::server
 before 0:2.10.95-10.el7
0:2.10.95-10.el7
fontconfig-devel-doc
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::workstation
 before 0:2.10.95-10.el7
0:2.10.95-10.el7
fontconfig
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::workstation
 before 0:2.10.95-10.el7
0:2.10.95-10.el7
fontconfig-debuginfo
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::workstation
 before 0:2.10.95-10.el7
0:2.10.95-10.el7
fontconfig-devel
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::workstation
 before 0:2.10.95-10.el7
0:2.10.95-10.el7
fontconfig
SUSE:Linux Enterprise Software Development Kit 11 SP4
 before 2.6.0-10.19.1
2.6.0-10.19.1
fontconfig
SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 11 SP4
 before 2.6.0-10.19.1
2.6.0-10.19.1
fontconfig
SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 11 SP4
 before 2.6.0-10.19.1
2.6.0-10.19.1
fontconfig
SUSE:Linux Enterprise Desktop 12 SP1
 before 2.11.0-6.1
2.11.0-6.1
fontconfig
SUSE:Linux Enterprise Software Development Kit 12 SP1
 before 2.11.0-6.1
2.11.0-6.1
fontconfig
SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP1
 before 2.11.0-6.1
2.11.0-6.1
fontconfig
SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 12 SP1
 before 2.11.0-6.1
2.11.0-6.1
fontconfig
Ubuntu:14.04:LTS
 before 2.11.0-0ubuntu4.2, plus listed versions
2.10.93-0ubuntu12.11.0-0ubuntu12.11.0-0ubuntu22.11.0-0ubuntu32.11.0-0ubuntu42.11.0-0ubuntu4.1
2.11.0-0ubuntu4.2
fontconfig
Ubuntu:16.04:LTS
 before 2.11.94-0ubuntu1.1, plus listed versions
2.11.1-0ubuntu62.11.1-0ubuntu72.11.1-0ubuntu82.11.1-0ubuntu92.11.94-0ubuntu1
2.11.94-0ubuntu1.1

History

History
RecordedChangedSources
aliasesEUVD
first indexedCVE List, GitHub Advisories, NVD, OSV

Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.

In short

CVE-2016-5384 is a high vulnerability (CVSS 7.8) in Fontconfig Project Fontconfig, published August 8, 2016. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.40%, the 34th percentile. Fixed in fontconfig 2.11.0-6.5.

References

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