CVE-2026-21488
Unknown Unknown - Not Provided
Heap-Based Buffer Overflow in iccDEV CIccTagText::Read Function

Publication date: 2026-01-06

Last updated on: 2026-01-06

Assigner: GitHub, Inc.

Description
iccDEV provides a set of libraries and tools for working with ICC color management profiles. Versions 2.3.1.1 and below are vulnerable to Out-of-bounds Read, Heap-based Buffer Overflow and Improper Null Termination through its CIccTagText::Read function. This issue is fixed in version 2.3.1.2.
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Meta Information
Published
2026-01-06
Last Modified
2026-01-06
Generated
2026-06-16
AI Q&A
2026-01-06
EPSS Evaluated
2026-06-15
NVD
CVE-2026-21488
EUVD
EUVD-2026-1157
Affected Vendors & Products
Showing 2 associated CPEs
Vendor Product Version / Range
internationalcolorconsortium iccdev to 2.3.1.2 (exc)
internationalcolorconsortium iccdev 2.3.1.2
Helpful Resources
Exploitability
CWE
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KEV
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CWE ID Description
CWE-170 The product does not terminate or incorrectly terminates a string or array with a null character or equivalent terminator.
CWE-125 The product reads data past the end, or before the beginning, of the intended buffer.
CWE-122 A heap overflow condition is a buffer overflow, where the buffer that can be overwritten is allocated in the heap portion of memory, generally meaning that the buffer was allocated using a routine such as malloc().
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Executive Summary

CVE-2026-21488 is a vulnerability in the iccDEV library versions 2.3.1.1 and below, involving three main issues: a heap-based buffer overflow, an out-of-bounds read, and improper null termination. These occur in the CIccTagText::Read function when processing ICC color profiles. The heap-based buffer overflow happens due to improper handling of dynamically allocated memory buffers, allowing data to overwrite adjacent heap memory. The out-of-bounds read involves reading beyond allocated buffer boundaries, potentially causing information disclosure or crashes. Improper null termination means strings or arrays are not correctly terminated, which can lead to buffer overflows or data corruption. This vulnerability requires local access with user interaction and low attack complexity. [1]

Impact Analysis

This vulnerability can lead to memory corruption and application instability when processing ICC color profiles. Specifically, it can cause denial of service or application crashes (high availability impact), with a low impact on confidentiality and no impact on integrity. An attacker with local access and user interaction could exploit these issues to disrupt the normal operation of applications using the vulnerable iccDEV versions. [1]

Detection Guidance

This vulnerability affects versions of the iccDEV library prior to 2.3.1.2 when processing ICC color profiles. Detection involves identifying if your system uses iccDEV version 2.3.1.1 or below. You can check the installed version of iccDEV by running commands like `iccdev --version` or inspecting the package manager for the installed version. Additionally, monitoring application logs for crashes or instability related to ICC profile processing may indicate exploitation attempts. There are no specific network detection commands provided. [1]

Mitigation Strategies

The immediate mitigation step is to update the iccDEV library to version 2.3.1.2 or later, which contains the fix for this vulnerability. This update addresses the heap-based buffer overflow, out-of-bounds read, and improper null termination issues. No workarounds are provided, so applying the patch is essential to prevent potential denial of service or application crashes. [1, 2]

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