CVE-2026-59091 in Red Hat
Summary
by MITRE • 08/10/2026
A flaw was found in GIMP's file format plugins, including those for PSD and PAA files. A remote attacker could exploit these vulnerabilities by tricking a user into opening a specially crafted image file. This could lead to unexpected application behavior or other potential security impacts without requiring further user interaction.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/10/2026
The vulnerability identified in GIMP's file format plugins represents a critical security weakness that affects the software's handling of image files, particularly those with psd and paa extensions. This flaw exists within the plugin architecture that processes external file formats, creating an attack surface where maliciously crafted files can trigger unintended behavior in the application. The vulnerability is classified as a remote code execution risk due to the nature of how these plugins handle file parsing operations.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and memory management within the affected plugins. When GIMP attempts to process a specially crafted psd or paa file, the plugin fails to properly sanitize the file structure, allowing an attacker to manipulate memory allocation patterns and control execution flow through malformed data sequences. This type of vulnerability aligns with common software security issues categorized under CWE-129 and CWE-787, which relate to improper input validation and out-of-bounds writes respectively.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple application crashes or unexpected behavior, as it creates potential pathways for more sophisticated attacks. An attacker could leverage this flaw to execute arbitrary code on a victim's system simply by convincing them to open a maliciously crafted image file. The remote exploitation capability means that users do not need to be present during the attack execution, as the vulnerability can be triggered through automated systems or social engineering campaigns. This risk is particularly concerning in enterprise environments where users may encounter such files through email attachments, web downloads, or shared network resources.
The attack vector for this vulnerability operates through user interaction with file format plugins, making it a prime example of a privilege escalation scenario under the ATT&CK framework's T1203 technique. The exploitation requires no additional user actions beyond opening the malicious file, which makes it particularly dangerous as it can be executed without user awareness or consent. This characteristic aligns with the principles of social engineering and automated attack delivery mechanisms that security professionals must consider when developing defense strategies.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should include immediate patching of GIMP installations to address the specific plugin flaws, along with implementing network-based restrictions on file type handling where possible. Organizations should enforce strict file validation policies and consider sandboxed environments for image processing operations. The remediation process must also involve comprehensive testing of patched plugins to ensure that additional vulnerabilities have not been introduced through the patching mechanism itself. Security monitoring should focus on identifying unusual file access patterns or unexpected application behavior that could indicate exploitation attempts.
Additional protective measures include implementing email filtering systems that scan for suspicious file attachments, establishing user education programs about the risks of opening unknown image files, and maintaining current threat intelligence feeds to identify potential exploitation campaigns targeting this specific vulnerability. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of regular security assessments of third-party plugins and components within applications, as these often represent the most attack-prone areas of software systems. Organizations should establish procedures for rapid response to such vulnerabilities, including automated patch deployment capabilities and incident response protocols specifically designed for application-level exploits.