CVE-2026-61863 in ImageMagick
Summary
by MITRE • 07/15/2026
ImageMagick before 7.1.2-26 (and 6.x before 6.9.13-51) contains a memory leak in the TIFF encoder that occurs when a temporary file cannot be created, resulting in a small memory leak.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/15/2026
The vulnerability in ImageMagick affects versions prior to 7.1.2-26 and 6.x versions before 6.9.13-51, specifically within the TIFF encoder component. This memory leak occurs during the processing of TIFF image files when the system attempts to create temporary files but fails to do so successfully. The flaw represents a denial of service condition where repeated exploitation can lead to progressive memory consumption and system instability.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate error handling within the TIFF encoding process. When the system cannot create necessary temporary files due to insufficient disk space, permission issues, or other resource constraints, the application fails to properly clean up allocated memory resources. This results in small memory leaks that accumulate over time, particularly when the application processes multiple TIFF files or experiences repeated failures during temporary file creation. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-401 which specifically addresses improper handling of memory allocation failures and resource leaks.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to systems that process large volumes of image files, particularly those running ImageMagick as part of web applications, content management systems, or automated image processing pipelines. Attackers can exploit this weakness by submitting malicious TIFF files designed to trigger the temporary file creation failure scenario repeatedly. The memory leak may not be immediately apparent but can gradually consume system resources until the application becomes unresponsive or crashes entirely. This makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous in environments where ImageMagick is used extensively for image processing tasks.
The impact extends beyond simple resource exhaustion as this vulnerability can be leveraged as part of broader attack strategies within the context of the ATT&CK framework under the T1499 category for resource hijacking and system disruption. Organizations using ImageMagick in production environments should prioritize immediate patching to version 7.1.2-26 or later 6.x releases that contain the necessary fixes. Additionally, implementing proper input validation and limiting file processing capabilities can serve as temporary mitigations while awaiting updates. System monitoring should include tracking memory usage patterns for processes utilizing ImageMagick, as unusual memory growth could indicate exploitation attempts.
Security teams should also consider the broader implications of this vulnerability within their incident response protocols, particularly when analyzing system performance degradation or unexpected application crashes. The fix implemented in the patched versions addresses the core issue by ensuring proper cleanup of allocated resources even when temporary file creation fails, thereby preventing the accumulation of memory leaks that could be exploited for sustained denial of service attacks. Organizations should conduct comprehensive testing to verify that the patch does not introduce regressions in legitimate image processing functionality while maintaining robust protection against this specific memory leak vulnerability.