CVE-2026-106066 in Red Hat
Summary
by MITRE • 10/07/2026
A heap-based buffer overflow was found in GIMP’s raw data export plug-in. When exporting very large images, g_malloc() sizing based on overflowing width * height * bytes-per-pixel can allocate far less memory than GEGL reads or writes during export, following integer overflow
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/07/2026
The vulnerability identified as a heap-based buffer overflow in the GNU Image Manipulation Program (GIMP) resides within its raw data export plug-in. This flaw is triggered specifically when users attempt to export images with dimensions that result in extremely large file sizes. The core technical issue stems from an integer arithmetic error during the memory allocation phase of the export process. When preparing to write image data, GIMP calculates the required buffer size by multiplying the image width, height, and bytes per pixel. In scenarios involving very large resolutions or high color depths, this multiplication operation can exceed the maximum value representable by a signed 32-bit integer, causing an integer overflow. Instead of allocating sufficient memory to hold the entire image data, the calculation wraps around to produce a significantly smaller positive number. Consequently, g_malloc() allocates a heap buffer that is far too small for the actual volume of data being processed.
During the subsequent export operation, GEGL (Generic Graphics Library), which handles the underlying image processing and I/O operations in GIMP, attempts to read from or write to this undersized buffer using the correct, full-sized dimensions. Because the allocated heap space is insufficient, these memory access operations exceed the bounds of the allocated region. This results in a classic heap-based buffer overflow where data overwrites adjacent memory structures on the heap. The immediate operational impact includes application instability and potential crashes due to segmentation faults or corrupted heap metadata detection by the operating system's memory management subsystems. However, beyond denial-of-service conditions, such heap corruption presents severe security risks. An attacker who can control the image dimensions or manipulate the export parameters could potentially overwrite critical data structures, leading to arbitrary code execution with the privileges of the user running GIMP.
This vulnerability aligns closely with Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) identifiers for integer overflow and buffer overflows on the heap. Specifically, it corresponds to CWE-190: Integer Overflow or Wraparound, which serves as the root cause, leading directly to CWE-122: Heap-based Buffer Overflow. The exploitation of this flaw allows an adversary to manipulate memory layout in a way that can bypass standard security mitigations if not properly configured. From a threat modeling perspective using the MITRE ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability facilitates initial access or privilege escalation depending on the context of execution and available exploit primitives. It represents a classic input validation failure where numerical inputs are processed without adequate checks for arithmetic limits before being used to determine resource allocation sizes.
Mitigation strategies must address both immediate remediation and long-term architectural improvements. The primary fix involves modifying the export plug-in code to perform safe integer arithmetic. This includes checking whether the multiplication of width, height, and bytes per pixel exceeds a predefined maximum threshold that fits within standard memory constraints before calling g_malloc(). Additionally, developers should implement explicit bounds checks on all array indices and buffer sizes derived from user-supplied image metadata. For users unable to immediately update their software environment, restricting the ability to export raw data formats or limiting input file dimensions through external controls can reduce exposure. It is also recommended that organizations enforce strict application whitelisting policies and ensure that heap protection mechanisms such as Address Space Layout Randomization (ASLR) are enabled on all systems running vulnerable versions of GIMP to mitigate the likelihood of successful exploitation even if the vulnerability is triggered.