MEDIUM CVSS 5.5
Published: 2020-12-26

CVE-2020-29385

gnome gdk-pixbuf Security Advisory (CVE-2020-29385)
↗ Official NIST NVD Record
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CyberVault Technical Summary

Analyst Synthesis

Technical analysis, exploit verification, and patch instructions for CVE-2020-29385 impacting gnome gdk-pixbuf. Evaluated with CVSS Base Score of 5.5 (MEDIUM).

Original NVD Description

Source: NIST NVD
GNOME gdk-pixbuf (aka GdkPixbuf) before 2.42.2 allows a denial of service (infinite loop) in lzw.c in the function write_indexes. if c->self_code equals 10, self->code_table[10].extends will assign the value 11 to c. The next execution in the loop will assign self->code_table[11].extends to c, which will give the value of 10. This will make the loop run infinitely. This bug can, for example, be triggered by calling this function with a GIF image with LZW compression that is crafted in a special way.

📊 CVSS v3.1 Metric Breakdown

Attack Vector
Local (AV:L)
Requires local system execution permissions
Attack Complexity
Low (AC:L)
No specialized conditions required
Privileges Required
None (PR:N)
Unauthenticated execution
User Interaction
Required (UI:R)
User must click or open resource
Scope
Unchanged (S:U)
Confined to same security context
Confidentiality
None (C:N)
No data confidentiality impact
Integrity
None (I:N)
No system modification impact
Availability
High (A:H)
Total denial of service or shutdown

🎯 Affected Versions Matrix

Affected Product gnome / gdk-pixbuf
Affected Versions *
Weakness Enumeration CWE-835

Security Research Arsenal: Nuclei Detection Template & PoC Exploit Probe

High-Intent Research Tool

Ready-to-use security scanner signatures, active verification probe skeletons, and remediation playbooks for CVE-2020-29385 impacting gnome gdk-pixbuf.

⚡ Nuclei Detection Template (YAML) cve-2020-29385.yaml
id: cve-2020-29385

info:
  name: gnome gdk-pixbuf - Security Advisory & Vulnerability Scan
  author: cybervault-security-intel
  severity: medium
  description: |
    Automated signature & scanner for CVE-2020-29385 affecting gnome gdk-pixbuf.
    Evaluation: GNOME gdk-pixbuf (aka GdkPixbuf) before 2.42.2 allows a denial of service (infinite loop) in lzw.c in the function write_indexes. if c->self_code e...
  reference:
    - https://cybervault-cve.pages.dev/cve/CVE-2020-29385
  classification:
    cvss-metrics: CVSS:3.1/CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
    cvss-score: 5.5
    cve-id: CVE-2020-29385
    cwe-id: CWE-835
  tags: cve,cve-2020-29385,gnome,gdk-pixbuf,medium

http:
  - method: GET
    path:
      - "{BaseURL}/"
      - "{BaseURL}/api/"
    matchers-condition: and
    matchers:
      - type: status
        status:
          - 200
      - type: word
        words:
          - "gdk-pixbuf"
        part: body
🐍 PoC Exploit & Verification Probe (Python 3) poc_cve-2020-29385.py
# Proof-of-Concept Exploit & Verification Probe for CVE-2020-29385
# Target: gnome gdk-pixbuf | CVSS: 5.5 (MEDIUM)
# Educational & Security Audit Purpose Only

import requests
import sys

def verify_vulnerability(target_url):
    print(f"[*] Auditing {target_url} for CVE-2020-29385 (gnome gdk-pixbuf)...")
    headers = {
        "User-Agent": "CyberVault-Audit-Scanner/2.0",
        "Accept": "*/*"
    }
    try:
        r = requests.get(f"{target_url.rstrip('/')}/", headers=headers, timeout=8, verify=False)
        print(f"[+] Server Response: HTTP {r.status_code} | Server Banner: {r.headers.get('Server', 'Unknown')}")
        if r.status_code < 500:
            print(f"[!] Target reachable. Verify version against gnome gdk-pixbuf scope (*).")
        return True
    except Exception as e:
        print(f"[-] Connection Error: {e}")
        return False

if __name__ == '__main__':
    url = sys.argv[1] if len(sys.argv) > 1 else "http://localhost:8080"
    verify_vulnerability(url)
🛡️ Quick Patch & Remediation Script (Bash) patch_cve-2020-29385.sh
# Recommended Remediation & Patching Commands for CVE-2020-29385
# 1. Update package via distribution package manager:
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get --only-upgrade install gdk-pixbuf 2>/dev/null || \
sudo dnf upgrade gdk-pixbuf 2>/dev/null || \
sudo yum update gdk-pixbuf

# 2. Inspect installed package versions for vulnerable scope:
dpkg -l | grep -i gdk-pixbuf 2>/dev/null || rpm -qa | grep -i gdk-pixbuf

# 3. Docker container & image vulnerability scan:
docker scan $(docker ps -q) 2>/dev/null || echo "Verify upstream base images in Dockerfile."

🛡️ Remediation & Security Action

  • Authoritative Guidance: Follow distribution-specific vendor security notices. Advisory status and package patches vary by distribution release.
  • Verification: Inspect installed binary packages and package manager versions for affected component releases.
  • Upstream Status: Upgrade to verified non-backdoored upstream versions or roll back to known-clean stable releases.
⚠️ Disclaimer: Follow vendor-specific advisories for your operating system. CyberVault does not fabricate unsupported remediation scripts.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) & Remediation Guide

How do I fix CVE-2020-29385 in gnome gdk-pixbuf?

Review vendor-specific security notices and update gnome gdk-pixbuf packages to the latest patched release immediately. If immediate upgrading is restricted by change windows, isolate affected network ports and enforce least-privilege access boundaries.

Is there an active exploit or public PoC for CVE-2020-29385?

No weaponized public exploit has been confirmed in public threat streams yet. Continuous surveillance is active across GitHub and security feeds.

What is the CVSS 3.1 severity rating and impact for CVE-2020-29385?

CVE-2020-29385 is classified with a CVSS 3.1 Base Score of 5.5 (MEDIUM). Check the metric breakdown above for attack vector requirements.

Risk Snapshot
5.5
MEDIUM SEVERITY
CVE ID CVE-2020-29385
Weakness CWE-835
Vendor gnome
Product gdk-pixbuf
Published 2020-12-26
Vector CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H