CVE-2026-102621 in Poppler
Summary
by MITRE • 09/30/2026
A vulnerability was identified in Freedesktop Poppler up to 26.08.0. Affected is the function SplashClip::clipToPath of the file splash/SplashClip.cc. Such manipulation leads to integer overflow. The attack can only be performed from a local environment. The exploit is publicly available and might be used. Upgrading to version 26.09.0 is able to address this issue. The name of the patch is 323c91036d99926a8b90dc14329f7b40aece22f8. It is recommended to upgrade the affected component.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/30/2026
The Freedesktop Poppler library, a widely used PDF rendering engine powering numerous desktop environments and applications, contains a critical memory safety flaw within its splash rasterizer module. Specifically, the vulnerability resides in the SplashClip::clipToPath function located in the source file splash/SplashClip.cc. This component is responsible for handling clipping paths during the rendering process of Portable Document Format files. The identified issue manifests as an integer overflow condition that occurs when processing malformed or specially crafted PDF content. Because this flaw involves arithmetic operations on data structures related to graphical boundaries, incorrect calculation results can lead to out-of-bounds memory access, potentially resulting in application crashes or arbitrary code execution depending on the specific context of the exploit and the underlying system architecture.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-190, which defines integer overflow or wraparound errors. In the context of Poppler, an attacker can supply a PDF document containing maliciously constructed path data that triggers an arithmetic operation to exceed the maximum value representable by the variable type used in SplashClip::clipToPath. This miscalculation leads to incorrect memory allocation or pointer arithmetic, allowing for potential buffer overflows or underflows. Such conditions are particularly dangerous as they can corrupt heap metadata or overwrite adjacent memory structures, providing a foothold for further exploitation techniques such as control flow hijacking. The presence of this flaw underscores the complexity and risk associated with parsing complex document formats that involve intricate graphical operations.
From an operational perspective, the attack vector is classified as local, meaning the vulnerability requires the victim to open or render a malicious PDF file within an application linked against the vulnerable version of Poppler. While remote exploitation via network services is not directly indicated by this specific flaw description, the impact remains severe for end-users and system administrators who process untrusted documents locally. The fact that public exploits are available significantly increases the risk landscape, as threat actors can leverage existing proof-of-concept code to target systems running affected versions without needing to develop custom exploitation tools from scratch. This lowers the barrier to entry for attackers and accelerates the potential for widespread compromise in environments where document processing is a routine activity.
To mitigate this vulnerability, immediate action is required to update the Poppler library to version 26.09.0 or later, which incorporates the fix identified by patch commit hash 323c91036d99926a8b90dc14329f7b40aece22f8. This update addresses the integer overflow logic within the clipping path handler, ensuring that arithmetic operations are properly validated before memory allocation or access occurs. Organizations should prioritize patching their systems and applications that depend on Poppler to prevent potential exploitation. Additionally, implementing defense-in-depth strategies such as sandboxed document viewing environments can reduce the impact of any future vulnerabilities in rendering engines by limiting the privileges available to the process handling untrusted content. Regular monitoring for vendor security advisories is also recommended to stay ahead of emerging threats targeting common libraries like Poppler.