png_handle_hIST(png_structp png_ptr, png_infop info_ptr, png_uint_32 length)
{
   unsigned int num, i;
   png_uint_16 readbuf[PNG_MAX_PALETTE_LENGTH];

   png_debug(1, "in png_handle_hIST");

   if (!(png_ptr->mode & PNG_HAVE_IHDR))
      png_error(png_ptr, "Missing IHDR before hIST");
   else if (png_ptr->mode & PNG_HAVE_IDAT)
   {
      png_warning(png_ptr, "Invalid hIST after IDAT");
      png_crc_finish(png_ptr, length);
      return;
   }
   else if (!(png_ptr->mode & PNG_HAVE_PLTE))
   {
      png_warning(png_ptr, "Missing PLTE before hIST");
      png_crc_finish(png_ptr, length);
      return;
   }
   else if (info_ptr != NULL && (info_ptr->valid & PNG_INFO_hIST))
   {
      png_warning(png_ptr, "Duplicate hIST chunk");
      png_crc_finish(png_ptr, length);
      return;
   }

   if (length > 2*PNG_MAX_PALETTE_LENGTH ||
       length != (unsigned int) (2*png_ptr->num_palette))
   {
      png_warning(png_ptr, "Incorrect hIST chunk length");
      png_crc_finish(png_ptr, length);
      return;
   }

   num = length / 2 ;

   for (i = 0; i < num; i++)
   {
      png_byte buf[2];

      png_crc_read(png_ptr, buf, 2);
      readbuf[i] = png_get_uint_16(buf);
   }

   if (png_crc_finish(png_ptr, 0))
      return;

   png_set_hIST(png_ptr, info_ptr, readbuf);
}

The product performs operations on a memory buffer, but it reads from or writes to a memory location outside the buffer's intended boundary. This may result in read or write operations on unexpected memory locations that could be linked to other variables, data structures, or internal program data.