http://dev.exiv2.org/boards/3/topics/2137?r=2259 Thanks to Gilles for the patch.

samples/CMakeLists.txt

@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ FOREACH(entry ${SAMPLES})
     STRING( REPLACE ".cpp" "" target ${entry})
     ADD_EXECUTABLE( ${target} ${target}.cpp )
     ADD_TEST( ${target}_test ${target} )
-    TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES( ${target} exiv2lib )
+    TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES( ${target} PRIVATE exiv2lib ${EXPAT_LIBRARIES})
     #INSTALL( TARGETS ${target} ${INSTALL_TARGET_STANDARD_ARGS} )
 ENDFOREACH(entry ${SAMPLES})
 

src/CMakeLists.txt

@@ -240,20 +240,20 @@ SET_TARGET_PROPERTIES( exiv2lib PROPERTIES
 
 if ( MSVC )
     source_group("Header Files" FILES ${LIBEXIV2_HDR} )
-    TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES( exiv2lib ${EXPAT_LIBRARIES} )
+    TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES( exiv2lib PRIVATE ${EXPAT_LIBRARIES} )
     source_group("Header Files" FILES ${LIBCURL_HDR} )
-    TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES( exiv2lib ${CURL_LIBRARIES} )
+    TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES( exiv2lib PRIVATE ${CURL_LIBRARIES} )
     source_group("Header Files" FILES ${SSH_HDR} )
-    TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES( exiv2lib ${SSH_LIBRARIES} )
+    TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES( exiv2lib PRIVATE ${SSH_LIBRARIES} )
 else()
     if ( NOT MINGW )
-        TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES( exiv2lib dl ${EXPAT_LIBRARIES} )
-        TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES( exiv2lib dl ${CURL_LIBRARIES} )
-        TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES( exiv2lib dl ${SSH_LIBRARIES} )
+        TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES( exiv2lib PRIVATE dl ${EXPAT_LIBRARIES} )
+        TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES( exiv2lib PRIVATE dl ${CURL_LIBRARIES} )
+        TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES( exiv2lib PRIVATE dl ${SSH_LIBRARIES} )
     else()
-        TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES( exiv2lib    ${EXPAT_LIBRARIES} )
-        TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES( exiv2lib    ${CURL_LIBRARIES} )
-        TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES( exiv2lib    ${SSH_LIBRARIES} )
+        TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES( exiv2lib PRIVATE ${EXPAT_LIBRARIES} )
+        TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES( exiv2lib PRIVATE ${CURL_LIBRARIES} )
+        TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES( exiv2lib PRIVATE ${SSH_LIBRARIES} )
     endif()
 endif()
 
@@ -262,33 +262,33 @@ if( EXIV2_ENABLE_LIBXMP )
     if  ( MSVC )
         LINK_DIRECTORIES(${LIBRARY_OUTPUT_PATH}/$(ConfigurationName))
     endif(MSVC)
-    TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES( exiv2lib xmp )
+    TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES( exiv2lib PRIVATE xmp )
 ENDIF()
 
 IF( EXIV2_ENABLE_PNG )
     IF( ZLIB_FOUND )
         IF( MSVC )
             if ( EXIV2_ENABLE_SHARED )
-                TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES( exiv2lib optimized ${ZLIB_LIBRARIES}.lib debug ${ZLIB_LIBRARIES}d.lib )
+                TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES( exiv2lib PRIVATE optimized ${ZLIB_LIBRARIES}.lib debug ${ZLIB_LIBRARIES}d.lib )
             else()
-                TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES( exiv2lib optimized zlibstatic.lib debug zlibstaticd.lib )
+                TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES( exiv2lib PRIVATE optimized zlibstatic.lib debug zlibstaticd.lib )
             endif()
         ELSE()
-            TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES( exiv2lib ${ZLIB_LIBRARIES} )
+            TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES( exiv2lib PRIVATE ${ZLIB_LIBRARIES} )
         ENDIF()
     ENDIF()
 ENDIF()
 
 IF( EXIV2_ENABLE_NLS )
-    TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES( exiv2lib ${LIBINTL_LIBRARIES} )
+    TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES( exiv2lib PRIVATE ${LIBINTL_LIBRARIES} )
 ENDIF( EXIV2_ENABLE_NLS )
 
 IF( ICONV_FOUND )
-    TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES( exiv2lib ${ICONV_LIBRARIES} )
+    TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES( exiv2lib PRIVATE ${ICONV_LIBRARIES} )
 ENDIF( ICONV_FOUND )
 
 IF (CYGWIN OR MINGW)
-    TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES( exiv2lib psapi )
+    TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES( exiv2lib PRIVATE psapi )
 ENDIF(CYGWIN OR MINGW)
 
 
@@ -303,7 +303,7 @@ INSTALL( TARGETS exiv2 ${INSTALL_TARGET_STANDARD_ARGS} )
 # ******************************************************************************
 # connection test application
 ADD_EXECUTABLE( conntest ${CONNTEST} )
-TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES( conntest exiv2lib )
+TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES( conntest PRIVATE exiv2lib ${CURL_LIBRARIES} ${SSH_LIBRARIES})
 
 # ******************************************************************************
 # exifprint application