CVE-2026-78475
Gimp: unbounded stack vla and 21-byte stack over-read in pix (esm) loader
What happened?
A flaw was found in the file-pix (ESM) plugin in GIMP. When processing a specially crafted PIX image file, the plugin allocates a Variable-Length Array (VLA) on the stack without proper bounds checking, causing an unbounded stack allocation followed by a 21-byte stack over-read. This can result in a denial of service due to stack exhaustion and a limited information disclosure of stack memory contents into an intermediate file.
Affected software and versions
| Software | Version information | Fixed version |
|---|---|---|
| gimpGNOME | affected: 3.0.0 to < * | See vendor advisory |
| gimpRed Hat | Default status: unaffected | See vendor advisory |
| gimpRed Hat | Default status: unaffected | See vendor advisory |
| gimp:2.8/gimpRed Hat | Default status: unaffected | See vendor advisory |
| gimpRed Hat | Default status: affected | See vendor advisory |
Version information comes from the source record and can include unaffected products and exceptions. Distribution packages may contain backported fixes: an older upstream version alone does not prove a server is affected.
Is it being exploited?
This CVE was not listed in the CISA catalogue at our last retrieval. This does not establish that exploitation is absent.
How to respond
- Confirm the product, installed package version, and any configuration requirements in the vendor advisory.
- Follow the vendor’s remediation or workaround guidance in the references below. Structured fixed-version data is unavailable here; the publisher’s description may include a fix or workaround.
- Restart affected services if required, then verify the running version. Known exploitation may warrant investigation as well as patching.