CVE-2026-116160
Description
A flaw was found in ImageMagick. An attacker can cause a Denial of Service (DoS) by tricking a user into processing a specially crafted image file using the X11 animate feature. Processing the image triggers a heap-based buffer overflow, writing data beyond allocated memory limits, which corrupts memory and crashes the application.
Statement
This vulnerability is rated as Low severity because exploitation is restricted to the local execution context, requires explicit user interaction, and only results in a denial of service. In typical Red Hat Enterprise Linux deployments, ImageMagick is utilized as a standalone utility or library, and the affected X11 animation component is not invoked by default background services or automated image processing pipelines. An attacker must convince a user to interactively inspect a specially prepared graphic file using the animate tool, limiting the blast radius exclusively to the abnormal termination of the viewer process.
Mitigation
Avoid opening or viewing untrusted image files with ImageMagick's interactive X11 animation utility (`animate`).
If viewing untrusted image sequences is necessary, execute the utility within an isolated, unprivileged container or restricted sandbox to constrain the process and protect the host environment.
Caveat: Refraining from using the `animate` utility or running it within a restricted sandbox may limit graphical playback functionality or require additional configuration for X11 display forwarding.
Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) Score Details
Info alert:Important note
CVSS scores for open source components depend on vendor-specific factors (e.g. version or build chain). Therefore, Red Hat's score and impact rating can be different from NVD and other vendors. Red Hat remains the authoritative CVE Naming Authority (CNA) source for its products and services (see Red Hat classifications).
The following CVSS metrics and score provided are preliminary and subject to review.
CVSS v3 Score Breakdown
| Red Hat | NVD | cve.org | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base Score | 3.3 | N/A | 3.3 |
| Attack Vector | Local | N/A | Local |
| Attack Complexity | Low | N/A | Low |
| Privileges Required | None | N/A | None |
| User Interaction | Required | N/A | Required |
| Scope | Unchanged | N/A | Unchanged |
| Confidentiality | None | N/A | None |
| Integrity Impact | None | N/A | None |
| Availability Impact | Low | N/A | Low |
Vector
Red Hat: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L
cve.org: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L
Understanding the Weakness (CWE)
Integrity
Technical Impact: Modify Memory; Execute Unauthorized Code or Commands
Write operations could cause memory corruption. In some cases, an adversary can modify control data such as return addresses in order to execute unexpected code.
Availability
Technical Impact: DoS: Crash, Exit, or Restart
Attempting to access out-of-range, invalid, or unauthorized memory could cause the product to crash.
Other
Technical Impact: Unexpected State
Subsequent write operations can produce undefined or unexpected results.
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