Windows GDI+ CVE-2026-54122

Exploitation requires the Windows GDI+ library to parse attacker-controlled graphics data (a crafted image or EMF/WMF metafile with malformed size/length fields) on the local system; the CVSS vector's AV:L means the malicious content must reach a locally executing rendering process rather than being delivered over the network to a listening service. Per the supplied vector PR:N/UI:N, no authentication and no modeled user interaction are required, and default GDI+ functionality is affected across the listed Windows 10, Windows 11, and Windows Server 2012-2025 builds, so no special non-default configuration is needed. The primary limiting factor is the local vector: an attacker must already be able to place or feed the malicious file to a process that calls GDI+ (via an existing foothold, a writable share, or a document opened on the host). Note the discrepancy that GDI+ image-parsing bugs typically require the victim to open or preview the file, which would normally imply user interaction - the UI:N rating should be confirmed against the MSRC advisory.

The vendor CVSS 3.1 base score is 8.4 (High) with vector AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - full CIA impact and low complexity with no privileges required, but a LOCAL attack vector. There is an internal tension in this vector defenders should note: GDI+ flaws are almost always triggered when a victim opens or previews a crafted image or document, which normally implies user interaction (UI:R), yet the supplied vector states UI:N and AV:L. This implies the attacker must be able to feed malicious graphics data to a locally running process (AV:L) but that no explicit victim click is modeled - verify the exact trigger against Microsoft's MSRC advisory. On the exploitation-signal side the picture supports measured prioritization: no CISA KEV listing, no public proof-of-concept, and no EPSS score was provided, so there is no evidence of active or imminent exploitation, and no SSVC decision data was supplied. Net assessment: a genuinely high-impact memory-corruption bug in a ubiquitous component that warrants prompt patching, but the local vector and absence of exploitation signals make it a standard high-priority patch-cycle item rather than an emergency. Historically, GDI+ image-parsing bugs have been chained into remote/UI-driven attacks, so real-world risk could rise if a working exploit emerges.

An attacker crafts a malicious image or metafile with corrupted length/dimension fields and delivers it to a target host (staged on a share, embedded in a document, or dropped by a low-privileged process). When a local application invokes GDI+ to parse or render the file, the heap overflow corrupts adjacent heap structures and, after heap grooming, redirects execution to attacker-controlled code. No public proof-of-concept is identified at time of analysis; given the local attack vector and low complexity, exploitation is plausible for an attacker who already has a foothold or can influence what a local process renders.