CVE-2026-27692 is a heap-buffer-overflow read vulnerability identified in the iccDEV library, which is widely used for manipulating ICC (International Color Consortium) color profiles. The vulnerability exists in versions up to and including 2.3.1.4 within the CIccTagTextDescription::Release() function. During the release process, the strlen() function reads past the allocated heap buffer when parsing XML text description tags embedded in ICC profiles. This out-of-bounds read can cause the application to crash, leading to denial of service. The root cause is improper bounds checking when handling XML text descriptions in ICC profiles, which are commonly used in color management workflows across various software and hardware platforms. The vulnerability is tracked under CWE-125 (Out-of-bounds Read), CWE-170 (Improper Null Termination), and CWE-787 (Out-of-bounds Write), indicating multiple memory safety issues. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 7.1, reflecting high severity with local attack vector, low attack complexity, no privileges required, but requiring user interaction. No known exploits have been observed in the wild, and no workarounds exist. A commit identified by hash 29d088840b962a7cdd35993dfabc2cb35a049847 addresses the issue by correcting the buffer handling logic. Since iccDEV is integrated into many image processing and color management tools, this vulnerability could be triggered by specially crafted ICC profiles embedded in images or documents.

The primary impact of CVE-2026-27692 is denial of service due to application crashes when processing malicious ICC profiles, which can disrupt workflows in industries relying on color management such as digital printing, photography, and media production. Additionally, the out-of-bounds read could potentially expose sensitive memory contents, leading to partial confidentiality breaches. Although no remote exploitation is indicated, local users or processes that can supply crafted ICC profiles might exploit this vulnerability to cause instability or crash critical applications. This could affect software that automatically processes images or documents with embedded ICC profiles, including graphic design suites, printing pipelines, and color calibration tools. Organizations with automated image processing systems or user-uploaded content handling are at risk of service disruption or information leakage. The lack of known exploits reduces immediate threat but does not eliminate risk, especially as attackers may develop exploits given the public disclosure. The vulnerability’s requirement for user interaction limits large-scale automated attacks but targeted attacks remain plausible. Overall, the vulnerability poses a significant risk to availability and confidentiality in environments dependent on iccDEV for color profile management.

To mitigate CVE-2026-27692, organizations should promptly update iccDEV to a version that includes the fix from commit 29d088840b962a7cdd35993dfabc2cb35a049847 or later once officially released. Until patched versions are available, restrict or sanitize input sources that provide ICC profiles, especially from untrusted or external users. Implement strict validation and filtering of ICC profiles before processing to detect malformed or suspicious XML text description tags. Employ application-level sandboxing or isolation for processes handling ICC profiles to contain potential crashes and prevent cascading failures. Monitor logs and application behavior for crashes related to ICC profile parsing to detect exploitation attempts. Coordinate with software vendors that integrate iccDEV to ensure they release patched versions and communicate risks to end users. Avoid running image processing tools with elevated privileges to limit impact if exploited. Finally, maintain up-to-date backups and incident response plans to recover quickly from denial-of-service conditions caused by this vulnerability.