GIMP
CVE-2025-10934
HIGH
Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain
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AccessDeliver malicious XWD file to victim
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DeliveryVictim opens file in GIMP
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ExploitOversized data copied into heap buffer
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ExecutionHeap-based buffer overflow triggered
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ImpactExecute arbitrary code as current user
Vulnerability Assessment
| Weakness |
CWE
ASVS 5.0
V15 - Secure Coding and Architecture Heap buffer bounds checking
MITRE ATT&CK
1 technique across 1 tactic: Execution The technique list with ATT&CK links and the kill-chain view is part of the Basic plan and up. |
| Exploitation Conditions | Exploitation requires the victim to open or otherwise cause GIMP to parse a maliciously crafted XWD (X Window Dump) file - specifically triggering the XWD import/parsing code path that fails to validate the length of user-supplied data before copying it into a heap buffer (CWE-122). Limiting factors: mandatory user interaction (UI:R) - the file must be opened or served to and processed by the victim; the vector is local/client-side (AV:L), not a remotely reachable network service; and exploitation yields code execution only in the context of the user running GIMP, not elevated privileges. Affected version per CPE is GIMP 3.0.4 (including the Debian 11 package); patched builds are not affected. |
| Impact | This is a moderate-priority, context-dependent flaw rather than an urgent mass-exploitation threat. The CVSS 3.0 vector (AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H, 7.8 HIGH) is internally consistent with the description: the attack vector is LOCAL (AV:L) because the vulnerable code path is reached by GIMP parsing a file already present on the host, and exploitation requires user interaction (UI:R) - the victim must open or be served a malicious XWD file. The HIGH confidentiality, integrity, and availability impacts reflect arbitrary code execution in the context of the current user running GIMP. Note the input labels this 'Remote Code Execution' while the CVSS vector is AV:L; this is not a contradiction but a common ZDI convention - 'remote' means the malicious file originates remotely, yet the exploitation primitive itself is local/client-side and gated by user action, so it should NOT be treated as a remotely reachable network service bug. No EPSS score, SSVC decision data, KEV entry, or POC indicator was supplied in the input, so exploitation probability cannot be quantified from the provided signals; absence of these is a data gap, not evidence of low risk. Given the required user interaction and the client-side nature, realistic risk is elevated primarily in targeted/social-engineering scenarios (e.g., phishing with a crafted image) rather than opportunistic internet-wide scanning. A vendor patch exists, which materially lowers residual risk for patched systems. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | An attacker crafts a malicious XWD image file with a manipulated length field and delivers it via email, a web download, or a shared drive. When the victim opens the file in GIMP (or GIMP processes it, e.g., via thumbnailing), the parser copies oversupplied user-controlled data into an undersized heap buffer, corrupting heap memory and allowing arbitrary code execution as the victim's user. No public exploit code was identified in the provided data, though the bug was discovered and documented by Trend Micro ZDI (ZDI-CAN-27823 / ZDI-25-978). |
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Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – Oct 19, 2026
GIMP 3.0.4 contains a heap-based buffer overflow in its XWD file parser that can allow arbitrary code execution when a crafted XWD file is opened by the victim. The root cause is missing validation of user-supplied length data before copying into a heap buffer (CWE-122); because the vector is local and requires user interaction, code execution is limited to the privileges of the GIMP process, making this a moderate-priority, context-dependent flaw rather than an urgent mass-exploitation threat. No public exploit was identified at time of analysis, and a vendor patch is available.
RemediationAI
Patch available per vendor advisory: apply the upstream GIMP fix referenced by commit 5c3e2122d53869599d77ef0f1bdece117b24fd7c (upstream fix available via commit; a tagged release version is not specified in the provided data) and, for Debian 11, install the updated package described in the Debian LTS announcement at https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/11/msg00005.html. Until patched, avoid opening XWD files from untrusted sources and consider disabling or removing GIMP's XWD import plug-in if XWD support is not required, accepting that XWD import will stop working. Because exploitation requires the victim to process a malicious file, blocking or sanitizing XWD attachments at email and web gateways can reduce exposure, but this is only a compensating control and does not fix the underlying parser overflow.
Affects your stack
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Technical ContextAI · show details
XWD (X Window Dump) is a legacy X11 raster image format used to store window or screen contents. GIMP's XWD import/parsing code reads attacker-controlled length fields and, without validating that the declared data length fits the allocated heap buffer, copies the data into that buffer. This is a classic heap-based buffer overflow (CWE-122): an out-of-bounds write corrupts heap metadata or adjacent objects and can be shaped into arbitrary code execution within the GIMP process. The CPE data identifies GIMP 3.0.4 (cpe:2.3:a:gimp:gimp:3.0.4) and the Debian 11 package (cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:11.0) as affected; the assessed CVSS vector is AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H, meaning the attacker must get the victim to process a malicious file locally via user interaction and does not need prior privileges, but the resulting code execution does not elevate beyond the user running GIMP.
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- Exploit and PoC references, threat intelligence from 22 sources
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Severity by source
AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
File-parsing bug reached by opening a crafted XWD file, so AV:L and UI:R; no prior privileges needed (PR:N) and code execution yields full C/I/A impact.
Primary rating from Vendor (trendmicro).
CVSS VectorVendor: trendmicro
DescriptionCVE.org
GIMP XWD File Parsing Heap-based Buffer Overflow Remote Code Execution Vulnerability. This vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected installations of GIMP. User interaction is required to exploit this vulnerability in that the target must visit a malicious page or open a malicious file.
The specific flaw exists within the parsing of XWD files. The issue results from the lack of proper validation of the length of user-supplied data prior to copying it to a heap-based buffer. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to execute code in the context of the current process. Was ZDI-CAN-27823.
Executive ViewAI
GIMP 3.0.4 contains a heap-based buffer overflow in its XWD file parser that can let a crafted file execute code under the user's privileges when opened. The risk is concentrated among staff who routinely open third-party or untrusted XWD files, where a successful attack could lead to workstation compromise, data exposure, or follow-on malware activity. Because exploitation requires local user interaction and no public exploit was identified at time of analysis, leadership should treat this as a manageable but priority patch-and-awareness item rather than an active incident.
Apply vendor patch.
Threat Intelligence Overview
NVD
CVE.org
EPSS
How this decision was reached
The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.
What every action level means
SSVC AssessmentENISA
Priority Score
Attack Technique
A buffer overflow occurs when a program writes more data to a memory buffer than it was allocated to hold, causing the excess data to spill into adjacent memory regions.
A heap overflow occurs when a program writes data beyond the bounds of a buffer allocated in the heap memory region.
Remote Code Execution represents the critical moment when an attacker successfully runs arbitrary code on a target system without physical access.
Affected Products (CPE)CVE.org
Buffer overflow in the readstr_upto function in plug-ins/script-fu/tinyscheme/scheme.c in GIMP 2.6.12 and earlier, and p
Multiple stack-based buffer overflows in file-xwd.c in the X Window Dump (XWD) plug-in in GIMP 2.8.2 allow remote attack
In GIMP 2.8.22, there is a heap-based buffer overflow in read_channel_data in plug-ins/common/file-psp.c. Rated high sev
fits-io.c in GIMP before 2.8.1 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (NULL pointer dereference and applic
An issue in gimp_layer_invalidate_boundary of GNOME GIMP 2.10.30 allows attackers to trigger an unhandled exception via
GIMP 2.10.30 and 2.99.10 are vulnerable to Buffer Overflow. Rated medium severity (CVSS 5.5), this vulnerability is no a
GIMP through 2.10.2 makes g_get_tmp_dir calls to establish temporary filenames, which may result in a filename that alre
Critical remote code execution vulnerability in GIMP's ICO file parser caused by an integer overflow (CWE-190) that lack
Remote code execution in GIMP 3.0.6 allows attackers to run arbitrary code by tricking a user into opening a malicious P
Remote code execution in GIMP 3.2.0-rc1 lets attackers run arbitrary code by tricking a user into opening a malicious IC
Use-after-free vulnerability in the xcf_load_image function in app/xcf/xcf-load.c in GIMP allows remote attackers to cau
Heap-based buffer overflow in GIMP's TIF file parser enables remote code execution when a user opens a crafted TIFF imag
GitHub PoC
Exploit-DB