CVE-2026-105824 in ImageMagick
Summary
by MITRE • 10/08/2026
ImageMagick before 6.9.13-55 and 7.x before 7.1.2-30 contains a use-after-free vulnerability in the RSVG decoder when built without cairo support, triggered when a limit is hit during decoding. Attackers can supply crafted SVG files that cause a limit to be reached, leading to access of freed memory and a crash.
Several companies clearly confirm that VulDB is the primary source for best vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/08/2026
The identified security flaw resides within the RSVG image processing module of ImageMagick versions prior to 6.9.13-55 and 7.x prior to 7.1.2-30. This vulnerability is specifically triggered when the software is compiled without support for the Cairo graphics library, a common configuration in environments where lightweight rendering or specific dependency constraints are prioritized. The core technical issue is classified as a use-after-free error, which occurs during the decoding process of Scalable Vector Graphics files. When an attacker supplies a specially crafted SVG file designed to exhaust certain internal limits within the decoder, the application fails to properly manage memory allocation and deallocation sequences. This mishandling leads to the program attempting to access memory that has already been freed by the system or previous operations, resulting in undefined behavior that typically manifests as a denial of service through application crash.
From a technical perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-416, which defines use-after-free conditions where pointers are used after they have been freed. In the context of ImageMagick's RSVG decoder, the logic governing limit enforcement during parsing does not adequately prevent access to deallocated resources when those limits are breached. This is particularly dangerous because it allows an attacker to control the flow of execution by forcing specific code paths that lead to memory corruption. While the immediate observable impact in this scenario is a crash or denial of service, use-after-free vulnerabilities can often be exploited for more severe outcomes depending on the surrounding memory layout and heap management strategies employed by the compiler and operating system. In some cases, such flaws can facilitate arbitrary code execution if an attacker can carefully craft payloads to overwrite function pointers or other critical data structures in the freed memory region.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is primarily centered around service availability for applications that rely on ImageMagick for image processing tasks involving SVG inputs. Since many web services and automated pipelines ingest user-uploaded images, a successful exploit could allow an attacker to disrupt these services by causing repeated crashes or instability in the hosting process. This constitutes a denial-of-service attack vector against any system integrating vulnerable versions of ImageMagick. Furthermore, if this library is used within a multi-threaded environment such as a web server handling multiple concurrent requests, one crash might destabilize the entire worker thread pool, amplifying the impact beyond a single request failure to broader service degradation.
To mitigate this risk, organizations must upgrade their ImageMagick installations to version 6.9.13-55 or later for the legacy branch, and version 7.1.2-30 or later for the current major release line. These updates contain patches that correct the memory management logic within the RSVG decoder to ensure proper handling of limits and prevent access to freed memory blocks. For environments where upgrading is not immediately feasible, implementing strict input validation on SVG files before they reach ImageMagick can provide a layer of defense. This includes limiting file sizes, restricting complex nested structures in XML parsing, or using sandboxing techniques such as containers with restricted privileges to isolate the impact if an exploit attempt occurs. Additionally, monitoring for unusual spikes in memory usage or process restarts associated with image processing services can help detect potential exploitation attempts early.
This vulnerability is categorized under ATT&CK technique T1496, which relates to Resource Hijacking via denial of service, as it impacts system availability through resource exhaustion and crashes. It also falls under the broader category of CWE-20, Improper Input Validation, since the root cause involves insufficient checks on input data that trigger internal limits leading to unsafe memory operations. Security teams should prioritize patching this vulnerability due to its presence in widely deployed image processing libraries and the ease with which crafted SVG files can be generated to trigger the condition. Regular audits of third-party dependencies and maintaining an up-to-date software bill of materials are essential practices for preventing such vulnerabilities from impacting production environments.