CVE-2026-6695
Description
A flaw was found in GIMP. A remote attacker could exploit this by tricking a user into opening a specially crafted PAA (Paint Shop Pro Array) image file. This vulnerability, a heap-based out-of-bounds write in the decode_lzss() function of the PAA file format plugin, allows data to be written beyond the intended memory buffer. This could lead to heap metadata corruption and potentially enable the attacker to execute arbitrary code on the affected system.
Statement
An Important heap-based out-of-bounds write vulnerability exists in the PAA file format plugin of GIMP. This flaw allows an attacker to achieve potential remote code execution by tricking a user into opening a specially crafted .paa file. Red Hat Enterprise Linux systems where GIMP is installed and used to process untrusted image files are affected.
Mitigation
To mitigate this issue, users should avoid opening .paa files from untrusted sources. If GIMP is not required, consider removing the `gimp` package to eliminate the attack vector. Removing the `gimp` package may also remove other desktop-related packages that depend on it.
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 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5.5 |
| Attack Vector | Local | Local | Local |
| Attack Complexity | Low | Low | Low |
| Privileges Required | None | None | None |
| User Interaction | Required | Required | Required |
| Scope | Unchanged | Unchanged | Unchanged |
| Confidentiality | None | None | None |
| Integrity Impact | None | None | None |
| Availability Impact | High | High | High |
Vector
Red Hat: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
NVD: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
cve.org: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Understanding the Weakness (CWE)
Integrity,Confidentiality,Availability
Technical Impact: Read Memory; Modify Memory; Execute Unauthorized Code or Commands
Buffer overflows often can be used to execute arbitrary code, which is usually outside the scope of a program's implicit security policy. This can often be used to subvert any other security service.
Availability
Technical Impact: Modify Memory; DoS: Crash, Exit, or Restart; DoS: Resource Consumption (CPU)
Buffer overflows generally lead to crashes. Other attacks leading to lack of availability are possible, including putting the program into an infinite loop.
Acknowledgements
Red Hat would like to thank JungWooJJING for reporting this issue.
Frequently Asked Questions
Not sure what something means? Check out our Security Glossary.
Want to get errata notifications? Sign up here.
