CVE-2026-24412 is a heap buffer overflow vulnerability identified in the iccDEV library, which is widely used for handling ICC color management profiles. The flaw exists in the CIccTagXmlSegmentedCurve::ToXml() function, where user-controllable input is improperly validated before incorporation into ICC profile data or other structured binary blobs. This improper input validation (CWE-20) combined with a heap buffer overflow (CWE-122) allows attackers to corrupt memory, potentially leading to denial of service, unauthorized data manipulation, bypassing of application logic, or remote code execution. The vulnerability is exploitable remotely over the network (AV:N), requires no privileges (PR:N), but does require user interaction (UI:R), such as opening a crafted ICC profile or file containing malicious data. The scope is unchanged (S:U), meaning the impact is confined to the vulnerable component. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 8.8, reflecting high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability. No known exploits have been reported yet, but the vulnerability is critical due to the potential for code execution and widespread use of iccDEV in color management workflows. The issue has been addressed in iccDEV version 2.3.1.2, and users are advised to upgrade promptly. Organizations should also review their handling of ICC profiles and implement additional input validation and sandboxing where feasible.

For European organizations, the impact of this vulnerability can be significant, especially for those in industries relying heavily on color management such as printing, graphic design, photography, and manufacturing. Exploitation could lead to denial of service, disrupting critical workflows and causing operational downtime. More severely, attackers could manipulate or corrupt color profile data, leading to incorrect color rendering or bypassing application logic, which may affect product quality or brand integrity. The possibility of remote code execution elevates the risk to system compromise, data breaches, or lateral movement within networks. Given the network attack vector and no requirement for privileges, the vulnerability could be exploited by external threat actors targeting organizations that process untrusted ICC profiles or images. This risk is heightened in environments where ICC profiles are exchanged frequently or embedded in documents and media files. The absence of known exploits provides a window for proactive mitigation, but the high CVSS score indicates that the vulnerability should be treated as a critical security issue.

1. Upgrade iccDEV to version 2.3.1.2 or later immediately to apply the official patch that fixes the heap buffer overflow. 2. Implement strict validation and sanitization of all ICC profile data and related binary blobs before processing, especially if sourced from untrusted or external inputs. 3. Employ sandboxing or isolation techniques for applications that handle ICC profiles to limit the impact of potential exploitation. 4. Monitor network traffic and file uploads for suspicious or malformed ICC profiles using intrusion detection systems or file integrity monitoring. 5. Educate users and administrators about the risks of opening untrusted image files or documents containing ICC profiles. 6. Review and update incident response plans to include scenarios involving exploitation of color management libraries. 7. Where feasible, restrict the acceptance of ICC profiles to those from trusted sources or digitally signed profiles. 8. Conduct regular security assessments and code reviews of custom applications integrating iccDEV to ensure no additional vulnerabilities exist.