CVE-2026-116160 in ImageMagick
Summary
by MITRE • 10/25/2026
ImageMagick before 6.9.13-58 and 7.x before 7.1.2-33 contains a heap-based buffer overflow in the X11 animate operation when processing crafted images. Attackers can supply a malicious image that, when a user runs an X11 animate operation on it, overwrites heap memory and can crash the application.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/25/2026
The vulnerability identified in ImageMagick versions prior to 6.9.13-58 and 7.x before 7.1.2-33 represents a critical security flaw within the X11 animate operation module. This specific component is responsible for handling animated image sequences, particularly those utilizing the X Window System protocol for display purposes. The core technical issue stems from a heap-based buffer overflow condition that occurs during the processing of specially crafted input images. When ImageMagick attempts to parse and render these malicious files, it fails to adequately validate the dimensions or data structures associated with the animation frames. This lack of rigorous bounds checking allows an attacker to supply image metadata or pixel data that exceeds the allocated memory buffers on the heap. Consequently, as the application processes this oversized input, it writes data beyond the boundaries of the intended buffer space, corrupting adjacent memory regions and leading to unstable system behavior.
From a technical perspective, this flaw aligns with Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) category CWE-120, which describes Buffer Copy without Checking Size of Input. The exploitation vector relies on the user or an automated process invoking the animate command-line utility against a maliciously constructed file. Because ImageMagick is widely used as a backend library for many web applications and desktop tools, this vulnerability can be triggered indirectly if those applications accept untrusted image uploads and subsequently invoke animation processing features without proper sanitization. The heap overflow mechanism typically involves overwriting critical data structures such as function pointers or object headers located in the vicinity of the allocated buffer. While the immediate observable effect described is an application crash due to memory corruption, this type of vulnerability often serves as a precursor for more severe exploits, including arbitrary code execution if the attacker can precisely control the overwritten memory contents and redirect program flow through techniques like return-oriented programming or heap spraying.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service scenarios involving local application crashes. In environments where ImageMagick is deployed in server-side contexts to process user-uploaded content, such as image hosting services, social media platforms, or document management systems, the risk escalates significantly. An attacker could potentially craft a payload that not only causes instability but also facilitates remote code execution by leveraging the heap corruption to hijack control flow. This poses a severe threat to data confidentiality and integrity, particularly if the server process runs with elevated privileges. Furthermore, because X11 is primarily used in Linux and Unix-like operating systems, this vulnerability specifically targets desktop environments where users might interactively open malicious files or automated scripts that trigger animation rendering without explicit user awareness of the underlying processing steps.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate action to update the ImageMagick installation to version 6.9.13-58 or later for the legacy branch, and version 7.1.2-33 or later for the v7 series. These releases incorporate patches that enforce stricter validation of image parameters during the animation processing phase, ensuring that buffer allocations match expected input sizes and preventing out-of-bounds writes. Organizations relying on ImageMagick should also implement defense-in-depth measures by restricting file uploads to trusted formats and validating inputs at multiple layers before they reach the rendering engine. Additionally, deploying runtime application self-protection tools or memory safety monitors can help detect anomalous heap behavior indicative of exploitation attempts. For users operating in X11 environments, it is advisable to disable unnecessary animation features if not required by business logic, thereby reducing the attack surface available to potential adversaries seeking to exploit this specific code path.