Use-After-Free in GIMP XCF Loader via Crafted File

Publication date: 2026-10-19

Last updated on: 2026-10-19

Assigner: redhat-SADP

Description

A flaw was found in GIMP. The XCF loader can leave a dangling pointer in the linked-channels list when a linked channel is later destroyed via a selection property. Opening a crafted XCF file can cause a use-after-free in the main GIMP process, leading to a crash and potentially arbitrary code execution.

CVSS Scores

EPSS Scores

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Meta Information

Published

2026-10-19

Last Modified

2026-10-19

Generated

2026-10-20

AI Q&A

2026-10-20

EPSS Evaluated

N/A

NVD

CVE-2026-112258

Affected Vendors & Products

Vendor	Product	Version / Range
Red	Hat	Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 *
Red	Hat	Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 *

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE

KEV

CWE ID	Description
CWE-416	The product reuses or references memory after it has been freed. At some point afterward, the memory may be allocated again and saved in another pointer, while the original pointer references a location somewhere within the new allocation. Any operations using the original pointer are no longer valid because the memory "belongs" to the code that operates on the new pointer.

Attack-Flow Graph

Executive Summary

This vulnerability is a use-after-free flaw in GIMP's XCF file loader. When a crafted XCF file is opened, the software fails to properly handle linked channels, leaving a dangling pointer. This can lead to memory corruption, causing a crash or potentially allowing arbitrary code execution in the main GIMP process.

Impact Analysis

If exploited, this vulnerability could allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code on your system by tricking you into opening a specially crafted XCF file. This could lead to system compromise, data theft, or further malware installation. Even without exploitation, it may cause GIMP to crash repeatedly.

Mitigation Strategies

Update GIMP to the latest version to patch the flaw. Avoid opening untrusted XCF files until patched. Monitor for crashes or unusual behavior when processing images.

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