Vulnerability in sharp package: sharp vulnerability in libwebp dependency CVE-2023-4863

sharp Updated 02 Oct 2025

Summary

16/11/2023

Disclosed on

HIGH

Severity

Yes i

Fix available

High

Severity

7.8

CVSS Score

GHSA-54xq-cgqr-rpm3: sharp vulnerability in libwebp dependency CVE-2023-4863. Affects sharp versions < 0.32.6. Fixed in 0.32.6. How to fix ↓

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Background

The sharp package is an npm package that is commonly used for processing images in Node.js applications. It relies on the libwebp library to decode WebP images. However, versions of sharp prior to 0.32.6 are vulnerable to a high severity vulnerability (CVE-2023-4863) in the libwebp dependency.

Vulnerability Detail

The vulnerability in sharp arises from the use of outdated versions of libwebp. This vulnerability can be exploited by an attacker who provides malicious WebP images as input to the sharp package. The impact of this vulnerability can be severe, potentially leading to remote code execution or denial of service attacks. It is crucial for users of sharp to upgrade to the latest version (0.32.6) to mitigate this vulnerability.

How To Fix

Minimum fixed version

0.32.6

This is the first release that contains the fix.

npm install sharp@0.32.6

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Workaround

If upgrading sharp or libvips is not immediately feasible, a temporary workaround can be implemented by adding the following code snippet to the application:

sharp.block({ operation: ["VipsForeignLoadWebp"] });

This code will prevent sharp from decoding WebP images, thereby mitigating the vulnerability. However, it is still recommended to upgrade to the latest versions as soon as possible.

Conclusion

The sharp package has a vulnerability in its libwebp dependency that can be exploited by providing malicious WebP images. To mitigate this vulnerability, it is crucial to upgrade to the latest version of sharp (0.32.6) or ensure the use of the latest libwebp version (1.3.2). A temporary workaround is available, but it is recommended to apply the permanent fix by upgrading the package. For further support on vulnerability remediation, please contact DevNack.com.

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