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Threats / ImageMagick / CVE-2016-3714
CVE-2016-3714 · EUVD no mirror located · GCVE no mirror located Verified 2026-06-22

ImageMagick vulnerability

ImageMagick fails to properly validate input in multiple coders (EPHEMERAL, HTTPS, MVG, MSL, TEXT, SHOW, WIN, PLT), allowing remote code execution through shell metacharacters in crafted images.

Verdict

Today item — known-exploited.

A remote attacker can execute arbitrary code by submitting a specially crafted image file that exploits improper input validation in ImageMagick's coder modules, leading to complete system compromise.

CISA KEV Yes · 2024-09-093EPSS 0.97485 (verify live)4Exploit Weaponized · public PoC5
01

Is it exploitable?

— the evidence, ranked above the score
Exploit available
Fully weaponized — public exploit code is cataloged for this vulnerability.We link the existence of the exploit; we do not host or redistribute payloads.
Reported exploitation
2 independent public reports of in-the-wild exploitation are cataloged.Distinct reporting sources (vendor, incident response, government); open them for the underlying claims.
Exploited in the wild
Listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog (added 2024-09-09).
CISA KEV ↗Confirmed
Probability (EPSS)
EPSS 0.97485 — modeled likelihood of exploitation activity.EPSS is a daily-changing model output — open the source for today's value.
Severity / affected
Affected: ImageMagick, ImageMagick. Confirm exact fixed builds in the vendor advisory.
NVD ↗Reported
Weakness (CWE)
Mapped to CWE-20 Improper Input Validation.CWE assignment from the public NVD record; the weakness class drives how the flaw is exploited.
NVD ↗Reported
02

Who’s exploiting it?

— attribution turns risk into urgency
Attribution not established

No confirmed (advisory-backed) threat-actor attribution is established for this record. Absence of a named actor is not absence of compromise — see Coverage & confidence.

03

Why it matters

— the attack path, told twice: adversary, then board
1

Front door — unauthenticated access narrative 1

Attacker
I craft an image file containing shell metacharacters designed to break out of the coder's parsing context.
Business
An attacker gains the ability to execute arbitrary commands with the privileges of the ImageMagick process.
2

Keys to the kingdom — privilege/identity takeover narrative 2

Attacker
I upload or reference this malicious image through a web application or service that processes images using ImageMagick.
Business
The vulnerability is triggered during routine image processing, bypassing application-level security controls.
3

Lateral reach — past segmentation narrative 3

Attacker
I achieve remote code execution on the target system by exploiting the lack of input sanitization in affected coders.
Business
The organization faces data breach, service disruption, lateral movement within infrastructure, and potential ransomware deployment.
04

What to do

— defensible action
  • Remediate per the vendor advisory — confirm the fixed build for your version and verify exposure.1
Say it to the boardA vulnerability with this evidence profile is a defensible budget line, not a backlog ticket — fund the change against the proof above.
05

Coverage & confidence

— what we know, and what we don’t

Established (cited)

  • KEV listing (CISA)
  • EPSS probability (FIRST)
  • Weaponized exploit available (VulnCheck)
  • 2 reported-exploitation source(s)
  • CWE weakness mapping (NVD)
  • Public exploit availability
  • Catalogued by redhat (CNA)
  • Coverage gaps — stated, not hidden

  • No EUVD / GCVE mirror in feed — single-authority dependency for the identifier.
  • EPSS & exposure are time-varying; verify live at the source.
  • Threat-actor attribution not established from feed data — absence of a name is not absence of compromise.
  • No finder/reporter credit recorded in the public CVE entry — the work behind this find is unattributed.
  • Disclosure & credit2
    Catalogued by redhatCNA
    Credited with finding itNo finder named in the public CVE record — the work behind this find is unattributed.