CVE-2026-2913 identifies a heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability in the libvips image processing library, affecting all versions up to 8.19.0. The vulnerability is located in the function vips_source_read_to_memory within the source.c file, which is responsible for reading data from custom seekable sources into memory buffers. When processing sources larger than 4 GiB, improper bounds checking or memory management leads to a heap overflow condition. This overflow can cause a crash in the user code that utilizes libvips, rather than within libvips itself, limiting the direct impact on the library. The attack vector requires local access with at least low privileges, and the complexity to exploit is high due to the need for a large custom seekable source and precise conditions. No user interaction or authentication is required beyond local access. The vulnerability has been publicly disclosed, and a patch identified by commit a56feecbe9ed66521d9647ec9fbcd2546eccd7ee addresses the issue by correcting the memory handling logic. Despite public disclosure, no known exploits have been observed in the wild, and the overall severity is rated low with a CVSS 4.0 score of 2.0, reflecting the limited impact and difficulty of exploitation.

The potential impact of CVE-2026-2913 on organizations is minimal due to several mitigating factors. The vulnerability requires local access, limiting remote exploitation possibilities. The exploit complexity is high, and the affected condition involves processing very large custom seekable sources (>4 GiB), which is uncommon in typical libvips usage scenarios. The overflow causes a crash in user code rather than libvips itself, reducing the risk of arbitrary code execution or privilege escalation. Consequently, confidentiality, integrity, and availability impacts are limited primarily to denial of service conditions affecting applications that process large custom sources. Organizations using libvips in environments where local users can supply large custom seekable sources may experience application instability or crashes, but widespread disruption or data compromise is unlikely. The absence of known exploits in the wild further reduces immediate risk. However, organizations should remain vigilant and apply patches promptly to prevent potential future exploitation as techniques evolve.

To mitigate CVE-2026-2913 effectively, organizations should: 1) Apply the official patch (commit a56feecbe9ed66521d9647ec9fbcd2546eccd7ee) to all libvips deployments up to version 8.19.0 to correct the heap overflow condition. 2) Restrict local user access to systems running libvips, especially limiting the ability to supply custom seekable sources larger than 4 GiB. 3) Implement input validation and size checks on data sources before processing with libvips to prevent oversized or malformed inputs. 4) Monitor application logs and system stability for crashes or anomalies related to image processing tasks involving large data sources. 5) Employ runtime protections such as memory safety tools or sandboxing to limit the impact of potential buffer overflows. 6) Educate developers and system administrators about the specific conditions of this vulnerability to avoid inadvertent exposure. These targeted measures go beyond generic patching by focusing on access control, input validation, and runtime defenses tailored to the vulnerability's characteristics.