CVE-2026-78465: Integer Overflow or Wraparound in Red Hat Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
CVE-2026-78465 is an integer overflow vulnerability in the file-pcx plugin of GIMP affecting 32-bit builds. The flaw occurs when processing a crafted PCX image file with 4 color planes and large dimensions, causing an integer overflow in memory allocation size calculation. This leads to an undersized heap buffer and subsequent heap-based buffer overflow when image data is written, resulting in memory corruption. Exploitation requires local user interaction to open a malicious PCX file in GIMP. Successful exploitation could lead to arbitrary code execution or denial of service. Default Red Hat Enterprise Linux security features such as SELinux, ASLR, and NX stack protection reduce the likelihood and impact of exploitation. The vulnerability is rated with high severity and no official fix is currently confirmed. Users are advised to avoid opening PCX files from untrusted sources with GIMP.
AI Analysis
Technical Summary
The vulnerability CVE-2026-78465 affects the file-pcx plugin in GIMP on 32-bit builds. When processing PCX image files, the plugin calculates memory allocation sizes based on image dimensions and the number of color planes. If a crafted file sets the number of planes to 4 with sufficiently large dimensions, the calculation exceeds the 32-bit integer limit, causing an integer overflow. This results in an undersized heap buffer allocation. Subsequently, when the plugin writes image data into this undersized buffer, a heap-based buffer overflow occurs, causing memory corruption. This can potentially lead to arbitrary code execution or denial of service. Exploitation requires convincing a user to open a malicious PCX file in GIMP. Red Hat's default security mitigations make exploitation more difficult. The vulnerability is rated with a CVSS v3.1 score of 7.0 (high severity). No official patch or fix is currently documented in the vendor advisory. The recommended mitigation is to avoid opening PCX files from untrusted sources.
Potential Impact
This vulnerability can cause heap-based buffer overflow leading to memory corruption. The impact includes potential arbitrary code execution or denial of service. Exploitation requires local user interaction to open a malicious PCX file in GIMP on a 32-bit system. Default Red Hat Enterprise Linux security features such as SELinux enforcement, ASLR, and NX stack protection significantly reduce the likelihood of successful exploitation and limit the impact. The vulnerability is rated as high severity with high confidentiality, integrity, and availability impacts.
Mitigation Recommendations
No official patch or fix is currently confirmed by Red Hat. The vendor advisory recommends mitigating this vulnerability by not opening PCX files from untrusted sources with GIMP. Default Red Hat Enterprise Linux security features provide additional protection. Users should follow this guidance until an official fix is released. Patch status is not yet confirmed — check the Red Hat advisory at https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-78465 for current remediation guidance.
CVE-2026-78465: Integer Overflow or Wraparound in Red Hat Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
Description
CVE-2026-78465 is an integer overflow vulnerability in the file-pcx plugin of GIMP affecting 32-bit builds. The flaw occurs when processing a crafted PCX image file with 4 color planes and large dimensions, causing an integer overflow in memory allocation size calculation. This leads to an undersized heap buffer and subsequent heap-based buffer overflow when image data is written, resulting in memory corruption. Exploitation requires local user interaction to open a malicious PCX file in GIMP. Successful exploitation could lead to arbitrary code execution or denial of service. Default Red Hat Enterprise Linux security features such as SELinux, ASLR, and NX stack protection reduce the likelihood and impact of exploitation. The vulnerability is rated with high severity and no official fix is currently confirmed. Users are advised to avoid opening PCX files from untrusted sources with GIMP.
CVSS v3.1
Score 7.0high
AI-Powered Analysis
Machine-generated threat intelligence
Technical Analysis
The vulnerability CVE-2026-78465 affects the file-pcx plugin in GIMP on 32-bit builds. When processing PCX image files, the plugin calculates memory allocation sizes based on image dimensions and the number of color planes. If a crafted file sets the number of planes to 4 with sufficiently large dimensions, the calculation exceeds the 32-bit integer limit, causing an integer overflow. This results in an undersized heap buffer allocation. Subsequently, when the plugin writes image data into this undersized buffer, a heap-based buffer overflow occurs, causing memory corruption. This can potentially lead to arbitrary code execution or denial of service. Exploitation requires convincing a user to open a malicious PCX file in GIMP. Red Hat's default security mitigations make exploitation more difficult. The vulnerability is rated with a CVSS v3.1 score of 7.0 (high severity). No official patch or fix is currently documented in the vendor advisory. The recommended mitigation is to avoid opening PCX files from untrusted sources.
Potential Impact
This vulnerability can cause heap-based buffer overflow leading to memory corruption. The impact includes potential arbitrary code execution or denial of service. Exploitation requires local user interaction to open a malicious PCX file in GIMP on a 32-bit system. Default Red Hat Enterprise Linux security features such as SELinux enforcement, ASLR, and NX stack protection significantly reduce the likelihood of successful exploitation and limit the impact. The vulnerability is rated as high severity with high confidentiality, integrity, and availability impacts.
Mitigation Recommendations
No official patch or fix is currently confirmed by Red Hat. The vendor advisory recommends mitigating this vulnerability by not opening PCX files from untrusted sources with GIMP. Default Red Hat Enterprise Linux security features provide additional protection. Users should follow this guidance until an official fix is released. Patch status is not yet confirmed — check the Red Hat advisory at https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-78465 for current remediation guidance.
Technical Details
- Data Version
- 5.2
- Assigner Short Name
- redhat
- Date Reserved
- 2026-08-24T16:22:00.262Z
- Cvss Version
- 3.1
- State
- PUBLISHED
- Remediation Level
- null
- Vendor Advisory Urls
- [{"url":"https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-78465","vendor":"Red Hat"}]
Threat ID: 6a8c76e0acd9273b49d9f015
Added to database: 08/24/2026, 16:52:48 UTC
Last enriched: 08/24/2026, 17:07:12 UTC
Last updated: 08/24/2026, 17:30:18 UTC
Views: 5
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