CVE-2026-62439 in GIMP
Summary
by MITRE • 10/17/2026
A flaw was found in GIMP. An integer overflow occurs in the file-pvr plug-in when calculating memory buffer sizes for image dimensions. By tricking a user into opening or previewing a specially crafted PowerVR (.pvr) file, an attacker can trigger a heap-based buffer overflow, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution or a Denial of Service (DoS) via an application crash.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/17/2026
The vulnerability identified in GIMP represents a critical security flaw within the file-pvr plug-in, specifically involving improper handling of memory allocation during image processing operations. This issue stems from an integer overflow that occurs when the software calculates buffer sizes based on input image dimensions found in PowerVR (.pvr) files. In many programming contexts, particularly those dealing with graphics and multimedia, calculating the required memory for a bitmap or texture involves multiplying width by height and then by bytes per pixel. If these values are not validated against maximum limits before arithmetic operations, an attacker can supply dimension parameters that cause the multiplication result to wrap around due to integer overflow. This results in a significantly smaller allocated buffer size than what is actually needed to hold the image data described by the header or metadata of the crafted file.
When GIMP attempts to process this specially constructed .pvr file, it allocates memory based on the truncated value resulting from the integer overflow rather than the true required size. Subsequently, when the application proceeds to copy the actual pixel data into this undersized buffer, a heap-based buffer overflow occurs. This type of vulnerability allows an attacker to write data beyond the boundaries of the allocated heap region. The immediate operational impact is often a crash or Denial of Service condition as the operating system detects memory corruption and terminates the process. However, in more sophisticated exploitation scenarios, this out-of-bounds write can be leveraged to overwrite adjacent heap metadata or function pointers, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution with the privileges of the user running GIMP.
From a threat modeling perspective, this vulnerability aligns closely with CWE-190, which describes integer overflow or wraparound errors that lead to subsequent memory corruption issues such as buffer overflows. The exploitation vector is classified under CWE-20, Improper Input Validation, because the application fails to adequately sanitize and validate the dimensions extracted from the external file before using them in critical arithmetic operations for resource allocation. Furthermore, this flaw facilitates attacks categorized within MITRE ATT&CK technique T1203, Exploitation for Client Execution, as it relies on social engineering tactics where a victim is tricked into opening or previewing a maliciously crafted document. The attack does not require network access but depends heavily on the user's interaction with the file system and their trust in the source of the image files they are processing within GIMP.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability involve both immediate patching by software vendors and defensive practices for end-users. Developers must implement strict validation checks to ensure that calculated buffer sizes do not exceed available memory limits or overflow integer boundaries before allocation occurs. This includes verifying that width, height, and depth values are within expected ranges and using safe arithmetic functions that detect overflows. For users of GIMP, it is advisable to keep the software updated with the latest security patches released by maintainers who have addressed this heap-based buffer overflow. Additionally, organizations should enforce policies regarding the opening of files from untrusted sources and consider deploying application whitelisting or sandboxing solutions to limit the potential impact if such a vulnerability were exploited in an environment where GIMP is used for professional image editing tasks involving external assets.