CVE-2026-61864 in ImageMagick
Summary
by MITRE • 07/15/2026
ImageMagick before 7.1.2-26 and 6.9.13-51 contains a memory leak in color transformation to the log colorspace: when the operation fails, a small amount of memory is not released.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/15/2026
This vulnerability resides within the ImageMagick image processing library where a memory leak occurs during color transformation operations to logarithmic color spaces. The flaw manifests when the color transformation process encounters failure conditions, resulting in minimal memory allocation that remains unreleased. This represents a classic memory management issue that can accumulate over time and potentially lead to resource exhaustion, particularly in environments where ImageMagick processes numerous images sequentially or continuously.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate error handling within the color space conversion routines. When the logarithmic color transformation fails to complete successfully, the system does not properly execute cleanup procedures for allocated memory segments. This memory leak pattern aligns with common software defects categorized under CWE-401: Improper Release of Memory Before Removing Last Reference and CWE-772: Missing Release of Resource after Effective Lifetime. The vulnerability specifically impacts ImageMagick versions prior to 7.1.2-26 and 6.9.13-51, indicating that these particular codebases contain flawed memory management logic in their color processing pipelines.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple resource waste, as it creates potential denial of service conditions in applications relying on ImageMagick for image processing tasks. Systems processing large volumes of images or those deployed in environments with limited memory resources may experience progressive degradation in performance due to the accumulating memory leaks. Attackers could potentially exploit this weakness by submitting specially crafted images designed to trigger multiple failed color transformations, leading to systematic resource exhaustion and service disruption. The vulnerability particularly affects web applications, content management systems, and automated image processing workflows that may not properly handle or recover from failed color transformation operations.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate patching of affected ImageMagick installations to versions 7.1.2-26 or 6.9.13-51 where the memory leak has been addressed. Organizations should implement robust input validation and sanitization measures when processing user-supplied images, including limiting image dimensions and enforcing strict format checks to prevent exploitation attempts. Additionally, deployment environments should incorporate memory monitoring and alerting mechanisms to detect unusual resource consumption patterns that may indicate active exploitation of this vulnerability. The ATT&CK framework categorizes such issues under T1499.004: Endpoint Denial of Service, highlighting the potential for adversaries to leverage memory leaks for service disruption attacks. Regular security assessments and code reviews focusing on memory management practices should be implemented to identify similar patterns in other software components within the organization's infrastructure.