Executive brief
GIMP is a widely-used open-source image editor that processes many file formats including TIF files. This vulnerability allows attackers to execute arbitrary code on a user's system if they open a malicious TIF file, potentially leading to complete system compromise, data theft, or malware installation.
Technical details
A heap-based buffer overflow exists in GIMP's TIF file parser due to insufficient validation of user-supplied data length before copying it to a heap buffer. The vulnerability is triggered when a specially crafted TIF file is opened, and requires user interaction (the user must open the malicious file). An attacker can leverage this to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the GIMP process. A patch has been made available via the GIMP GitLab repository.
Affected products
- GIMP GIMP
Timeline
- 2026-04-17: disclosed: Vulnerability reported to vendor
- 2026-07-29: advisory: Coordinated public release of advisory
- 2026-07-29: patched: Update available