Assimp CVE-2026-10232

Local system access with low-privilege credentials is required (CVSS AV:L, PR:L). The attacker must be able to supply or place a crafted ASE (ASCII Scene Export) format file that is subsequently loaded by an application using Assimp - this is the specific code path containing the vulnerability. No user interaction is required beyond the application loading the file (UI:N). Exploitation is bounded by: (1) local access - no remote attack vector is supported by the CVSS vector or description; (2) ASE format specifically - other file format parsers in Assimp are not implicated by this CVE; (3) low privilege level is sufficient, meaning standard user accounts qualify. Non-default configuration is not required; the ASE parser is part of the standard Assimp build. Environments where Assimp never processes ASE files, or where untrusted users cannot influence which files are loaded, are not meaningfully exposed.

The CVSS 3.1 base score of 5.3 (Medium) is shaped by a local attack vector (AV:L), low complexity (AC:L), low privilege requirements (PR:L), no user interaction (UI:N), and low impact across all CIA pillars. The temporal vector includes E:P (proof-of-concept exploit exists), RL:X (no remediation level defined - no confirmed patch), and RC:R (reasonable but not fully confirmed report confidence). These temporal factors are significant: a public POC combined with no released patch is an unfavorable combination. EPSS data was not supplied in the input and cannot be estimated. KEV status is not confirmed, indicating no reported widespread exploitation campaign tracked by CISA at this time. Real-world priority depends heavily on deployment: applications that accept user-supplied 3D model files (game modding tools, asset importers, online converters) face meaningfully higher risk than those where Assimp processes only trusted internal assets. The local attack vector (AV:L) limits internet-facing exposure but does not preclude risk in multi-tenant or shared-workstation environments. No conflicting signals identified; CVSS vector is consistent with the described local file-parsing scenario.

A local attacker with standard user-level credentials places a specially crafted ASE-format 3D model file in a location processed by a target application - such as a game engine's asset import directory or a 3D editor's file open dialog. When Assimp parses the file, the aiNode::~aiNode destructor in scene.cpp accesses heap memory that has already been freed during the node tree teardown, corrupting heap state. A public proof-of-concept (poc.zip, linked from the GitHub issue) demonstrates this trigger, and depending on heap layout and allocator behavior, the outcome ranges from a reproducible application crash to potential control-flow hijack.