Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain
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AccessCraft XPM with characters-per-pixel > 3
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DeliveryDeliver file to victim or conversion pipeline
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ExploitVictim runs xpmtoppm on file
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ExecutionOversized cpp overruns 3-byte colorName hash entry
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ImpactHeap corruption crashes process or executes code
Vulnerability Assessment
| Weakness |
CWE
ASVS 5.0
V15 - Secure Coding and Architecture Bounds checking, write limits
MITRE ATT&CK
2 techniques across 2 tactics: Execution, Privilege Escalation The technique list with ATT&CK links and the kill-chain view is part of the Basic plan and up. |
| Exploitation Conditions | Exploitation requires that xpmtoppm (the Netpbm XPM-to-PPM converter) be run against an attacker-supplied XPM file whose header specifies a characters-per-pixel value greater than 3; that oversized value is what overruns the fixed 3-byte colorName hash entries. Per the CVSS 4.0 vector this is local (AV:L) with passive user interaction (UI:P) and no privileges (PR:N), meaning the victim or an automated workflow must actually invoke the converter on the hostile file. Limiting factors: there is no remote or network-facing exposure by default, the specific xpmtoppm tool must be in use (not merely Netpbm being installed), and affected versions are those before 10.86.51, 11.02.30, and 11.15.08. |
| Impact | This is a locally-scoped memory-corruption flaw (CWE-787) with a genuinely high technical impact but a narrow trigger path, so it rates as a moderate real-world priority rather than an emergency. The supplied CVSS 4.0 vector (AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:P/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H, 8.5) is internally consistent with the description: exploitation is local and requires the victim to process an attacker-supplied XPM file through xpmtoppm (UI:P), not a remote network reach. The vendor priority label is 'this_week' and a patch is available, which argues for prompt but not drop-everything remediation. No EPSS probability was provided, the CVE is NOT listed in CISA KEV, and no confirmed public exploit code is present in the inputs - only vendor/commit references and a VulnCheck advisory. The description itself qualifies the impact as 'crashes or potentially code execution,' so the VC:H/VI:H/VA:H rating reflects a worst-case code-execution outcome that is plausible but not demonstrated in the supplied evidence. Net: a real issue worth patching this cycle, but the local-plus-user-interaction requirement and absence of KEV/EPSS/working-exploit signals place it below network-reachable unauthenticated RCE. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | An attacker crafts a malicious XPM image whose header declares a characters-per-pixel value greater than 3 and delivers it to a victim (e.g., via email, a download, or an automated image-conversion pipeline). When the victim or a service runs xpmtoppm against the file, the oversized per-pixel value overruns the fixed 3-byte colorName hash entries on the heap, causing a crash or potentially arbitrary code execution. No public exploit identified at time of analysis; exploitation is local and depends on the target actually invoking the vulnerable converter on the crafted file. |
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Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – Nov 02, 2026
Heap buffer overflow in Netpbm's xpmtoppm converter allows an attacker who supplies a crafted XPM file with a characters-per-pixel value greater than 3 to overwrite fixed 3-byte colorName hash entries, causing crashes or potentially code execution. Affected versions are Netpbm before 10.86.51, 11.x before 11.02.30, and 11.03 before 11.15.08; the assessed vector is local with no privileges and requires the victim or an automated workflow to run xpmtoppm on the hostile file. No public exploit was identified at time of analysis, and vendor patches are available for all three branches.
RemediationAI
Vendor-released patch: upgrade to Netpbm 10.86.51, 11.02.30, or 11.15.08, matching your release branch; the fix is referenced at https://sourceforge.net/p/netpbm/code/5336/ with branch HISTORY links at https://svn.code.sf.net/p/netpbm/code/!svn/bc/5358/stable/doc/HISTORY, https://svn.code.sf.net/p/netpbm/code/!svn/bc/5357/advanced/doc/HISTORY, and https://svn.code.sf.net/p/netpbm/code/!svn/bc/5371/super_stable/doc/HISTORY. No vendor workaround is documented in the available references; limiting xpmtoppm execution to trusted XPM inputs or removing it from workflows that process untrusted files is a compensating control only and does not correct the unvalidated cpp handling. The provided priority label is this_week, consistent with the local trigger path.
Affected VersionsENISA
Affected Packages
Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)
Affects your stack
Affects 1 package in euvd
Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.
Technical ContextAI · show details
Netpbm is a toolkit for converting and manipulating image formats, and xpmtoppm converts X PixMap (XPM) files to PPM. The XPM header includes a characters-per-pixel (cpp) value that controls how many characters encode each pixel's color; xpmtoppm stores colorName data in fixed 3-byte hash entries but does not validate cpp values greater than 3, so a crafted header causes an out-of-bounds write (CWE-787). The affected CPE is cpe:2.3:a:netpbm:netpbm:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*, covering the Netpbm product family. The assessed CVSS 4.0 vector is AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:P/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N, meaning the attack is local, requires no privileges, and needs the converter to be invoked on the malicious file.
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Severity by source
CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:P/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
Exploitation needs a victim to run xpmtoppm on a crafted local file (AV:L, UI:R) with no privileges; a heap overflow enabling potential code execution yields high C/I/A.
Primary rating from Vendor (VulnCheck).
CVSS VectorVendor: VulnCheck
DescriptionCVE.org
Netpbm before 10.86.51, 11.x before 11.02.30, and 11.03 before 11.15.08 contains a heap buffer overflow in xpmtoppm caused by an unvalidated characters-per-pixel value in the XPM header. Attackers can supply a crafted XPM file with characters-per-pixel greater than 3 to overrun fixed 3-byte colorName hash entries, causing crashes or potentially code execution.
Executive ViewAI
A heap buffer overflow in Netpbm's xpmtoppm converter (CVE-2026-120435) can be triggered by a crafted XPM image file, potentially allowing an attacker to crash the tool or execute arbitrary code on systems that process untrusted images. The vulnerability affects environments where XPM files are automatically converted-such as build pipelines, image processing workflows, or user-facing upload services-and could expose the organization to service disruption or compromise if hostile files are introduced. Leadership should prioritize patching because Netpbm is a foundational utility in many content processing systems, and the flaw requires no special privileges to exploit, only that a victim or automated workflow runs the converter on a malicious file.
Apply vendor patch.
Threat Intelligence Overview
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.
Memory corruption occurs when a program writes data beyond the boundaries of allocated memory regions or accesses memory in unintended ways, violating the integrity of the process's address space.
Remote Code Execution represents the critical moment when an attacker successfully runs arbitrary code on a target system without physical access.
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EUVD-2026-115195
GHSA-9wp8-mmj7-87m8
NVD
CVE.org
EPSS
Exploit-DB