Executive brief
GIMP is a widely-used image editing application. A flaw in its ICO (Windows icon) file loader allows attackers to craft malicious icon files that, when opened, can crash the application or execute arbitrary code. An attacker could exploit this by distributing a booby-trapped icon file via email or a website.
Technical details
An integer overflow vulnerability exists in GIMP's ICO file loader when processing ICO files containing embedded PNG images. The flaw occurs during calculation of the required buffer size for decoded pixel data. The integer overflow results in an undersized heap buffer being allocated, which is subsequently overflowed when pixel data is written. The vulnerability requires user interaction (opening a malicious ICO file) and is reachable via local or network (file download) vectors. Successful exploitation can lead to arbitrary code execution or denial of service. A patch is expected from the GIMP project.
Affected products
- GIMP GIMP
Timeline
- 2026-09-14: disclosed