The vulnerability is an integer overflow in the libtiff rgb2ycbcr utility’s cvtRaster function when computing strip buffer sizes for YCbCr conversion. The overflow causes the allocation of a heap buffer that is smaller than required, and when a crafted TIFF image is processed the subsequent writes exceed the allocated space. This heap-based buffer overflow can corrupt memory and potentially allow an attacker to inject and execute arbitrary code.

The flaw exists in the libtiff image processing library and affects all installations that incorporate the library before the patch in the referenced commit. Any application that uses the rgb2ycbcr routine to decode TIFF files is potentially vulnerable. The vulnerability requires only that a malicious TIFF image be processed by the affected library, which is common in many image handling scenarios.

The CVSS score of 7.8 indicates high severity. The EPSS score is below 1%, indicating a low probability of exploitation at this time. The vulnerability is not listed in CISA KEV, meaning no publicly documented exploits are known. The attack vector requires the attacker to supply a crafted TIFF file to the application. While the likelihood of exploitation is currently low, the impact can be severe if the software is widely deployed.