CVE-2026-25634: iccDEV Buffer Overflow Vulnerability

CVE-2026-25634 Overview

CVE-2026-25634 is a memory corruption vulnerability affecting iccDEV, a set of libraries and tools developed by the International Color Consortium that enable interaction, manipulation, and application of ICC color management profiles. The vulnerability exists in versions prior to 2.3.1.4 where the SrcPixel and DestPixel stack buffers overlap in the CIccTagMultiProcessElement::Apply() function within IccTagMPE.cpp.

This buffer overlap condition can lead to memory corruption when processing specially crafted ICC profile data, potentially enabling arbitrary code execution or causing application crashes in software that utilizes the iccDEV library for color management operations.

Critical Impact
Successful exploitation of this stack buffer overlap vulnerability could allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service in applications using the iccDEV library for ICC profile processing.

Affected Products

iccDEV versions prior to 2.3.1.4
Applications and systems incorporating vulnerable iccDEV libraries for ICC color profile management

Discovery Timeline

2026-02-06 - CVE-2026-25634 published to NVD
2026-02-06 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2026-25634

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified as CWE-119 (Improper Restriction of Operations within the Bounds of a Memory Buffer). The core issue stems from an overlap between the source and destination pixel buffers during color transformation operations in the CIccTagMultiProcessElement::Apply() function.

When processing ICC color profiles, the library performs pixel transformations that copy data between source and destination buffers. The vulnerability occurs when these buffers share overlapping memory regions on the stack, which can result in corrupted data being written during memcpy operations. This type of memcpy-param-overlap condition violates memory safety guarantees and can lead to undefined behavior.

The attack requires local access and user interaction (such as opening a malicious ICC profile file), but requires no privileges to exploit. A successful attack could compromise the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the affected system.

Root Cause

The root cause is insufficient validation of input and output sample counts before performing buffer operations in the CIccTagMultiProcessElement::Apply() function. Prior to the patch, the function did not verify that the number of source and destination samples matched the expected input and output channels of the color transformation, allowing mismatched buffer sizes that could result in overlapping memory regions.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is local, requiring an attacker to deliver a maliciously crafted ICC color profile to a victim system. Exploitation occurs when:

An application using the vulnerable iccDEV library attempts to process a specially crafted ICC profile
The malicious profile triggers the CIccTagMultiProcessElement::Apply() function with mismatched input/output channel configurations
The overlapping stack buffers cause memory corruption during the pixel transformation operation
The memory corruption can potentially be leveraged for code execution or cause an application crash

The following patch addresses the vulnerability by adding validation checks for input and output sample counts:

cpp

   if (!m_pTag) {
     return icCmmStatInvalidLut;
   }
+  
+  // make sure the input and output samples match, or we could cause an access violation
+  icUInt16Number inputSamples = GetNumSrcSamples();
+  icUInt16Number outputSamples = GetNumDstSamples();
+  icUInt16Number xformInputSamples = m_pTag->NumInputChannels();
+  icUInt16Number xformOutputSamples = m_pTag->NumOutputChannels();
+  
+  if (inputSamples != xformInputSamples || outputSamples != xformOutputSamples)
+    return icCmmStatBadXform;
 
   if (!m_pTag->Begin(icElemInterpLinear, GetProfileCC(), GetConnectionConditions(), GetCmmEnvVarLookup())) {
     return icCmmStatInvalidProfile;

Source: GitHub Commit

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-25634

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected application crashes when processing ICC color profiles
Memory access violations or segmentation faults in applications using iccDEV library functions
Anomalous behavior in image processing or color management workflows
Error messages referencing CIccTagMultiProcessElement::Apply() or related iccDEV functions

Detection Strategies

Implement file integrity monitoring for iccDEV library files to detect unauthorized modifications
Deploy endpoint detection rules that monitor for memory corruption patterns in ICC profile processing applications
Enable crash dump analysis to identify exploitation attempts targeting buffer overlap conditions
Utilize application-level logging to track ICC profile processing operations and detect anomalies

Monitoring Recommendations

Monitor for unusual ICC profile file activity, particularly files from untrusted sources
Implement behavioral analysis for applications that utilize color management libraries
Enable memory protection features (ASLR, DEP) on systems running vulnerable iccDEV versions
Review application logs for repeated crashes or errors related to color profile processing

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-25634

Immediate Actions Required

Upgrade iccDEV to version 2.3.1.4 or later immediately
Audit all applications and systems that may incorporate the iccDEV library
Restrict processing of ICC profiles from untrusted sources until patching is complete
Implement input validation for ICC profile files at the application layer

Patch Information

The vulnerability has been fixed in iccDEV version 2.3.1.4. The patch introduces validation checks in IccProfLib/IccCmm.cpp to ensure that input and output sample counts match the expected transformation channel requirements before performing buffer operations.

For detailed patch information, see:

Workarounds

Restrict ICC profile processing to files from trusted sources only
Implement application-level sandboxing for color profile processing operations
Deploy memory protection mechanisms (ASLR, DEP, stack canaries) to increase exploitation difficulty
Consider disabling ICC profile functionality temporarily if immediate patching is not feasible

bash

# Verify iccDEV version after patching
# Check for version 2.3.1.4 or later to ensure the fix is applied
git -C /path/to/iccDEV describe --tags
# Expected output should be v2.3.1.4 or higher