Heap Buffer Overflow in DICOM PALETTE COLOR Image Decoder

Publication date: 2026-04-09

Last updated on: 2026-04-14

Assigner: CERT/CC

Description

A heap buffer overflow vulnerability exists during the decoding of `PALETTE COLOR` DICOM images. Pixel length validation uses 32-bit multiplication for width and height calculations. If these values overflow, the validation check incorrectly succeeds, allowing the decoder to read and write to memory beyond allocated buffers.

CVSS Scores

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Meta Information

Published

2026-04-09

Last Modified

2026-04-14

Generated

2026-07-06

AI Q&A

2026-04-09

EPSS Evaluated

2026-07-05

NVD

CVE-2026-5443

EUVD

EUVD-2026-20922

Affected Vendors & Products

Vendor	Product	Version / Range
orthanc-server	orthanc	to 1.12.11 (exc)

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE

KEV

CWE ID	Description
CWE-787	The product writes data past the end, or before the beginning, of the intended buffer.

Attack-Flow Graph

Executive Summary

This vulnerability is a heap buffer overflow that occurs when decoding PALETTE COLOR DICOM images. The issue arises because the pixel length validation uses 32-bit multiplication to calculate the width and height. If these calculations overflow, the validation check mistakenly passes, which allows the decoder to read and write beyond the allocated memory buffers.

Impact Analysis

The vulnerability can lead to memory corruption by allowing the decoder to access memory outside of the intended buffer. This can cause application crashes, data corruption, or potentially allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code, compromising the security and stability of the affected system.

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