CVE-2026-6694 in GIMP
Summary
by MITRE • 08/03/2026
A flaw was found in GIMP's file-png plugin. A remote attacker can exploit this by crafting a malicious Animated Portable Network Graphics (APNG) image containing an oversized tRNS chunk. This can lead to a stack-based buffer overflow (CWE-121), causing the file-png plugin to crash and resulting in a Denial of Service (DoS) for the user.
If you want to get best quality of vulnerability data, you may have to visit VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/03/2026
The vulnerability in GIMP's file-png plugin represents a critical security flaw that demonstrates the ongoing challenges in image processing software security. This issue specifically affects the handling of Animated Portable Network Graphics format files, which extend the standard PNG format to support animation through multiple frames. The vulnerability arises from insufficient input validation and memory management within the plugin's parsing logic for APNG files, creating an exploitable condition that can be triggered remotely by malicious actors.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves a stack-based buffer overflow condition classified as CWE-121, which occurs when data exceeding the allocated buffer space is written to a stack location. In this case, attackers craft malicious APNG images containing oversized tRNS chunks, which are transparency information segments used in PNG format. When GIMP's file-png plugin attempts to parse these malformed chunks without proper bounds checking, the excessive data overflows into adjacent stack memory regions, corrupting program execution state and causing unpredictable behavior.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple application instability to represent a potential vector for broader security compromises. When exploited, the buffer overflow results in immediate denial of service conditions where the GIMP application crashes and becomes unavailable to legitimate users. This DoS condition affects not only individual users but also organizations that rely on GIMP for image processing workflows, potentially disrupting productivity and creative processes. The remote exploitation capability means attackers can trigger this vulnerability without physical access to target systems, making it particularly dangerous in unpatched environments.
From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK tactics involving privilege escalation through application exploitation and defense evasion via service disruption. The flaw demonstrates the importance of input validation in multimedia processing libraries and highlights the need for robust memory safety practices in image format parsers. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including patching to the latest GIMP versions, network segmentation to limit exposure, and user education about avoiding untrusted image files. Additionally, automated security scanning tools should be configured to detect and block suspicious APNG file content that may contain oversized tRNS chunks, providing defense-in-depth protection against similar vulnerabilities in other applications processing image formats.