CVE-2026-62438 Overview
CVE-2026-62438 is an integer overflow vulnerability in GIMP's Bohemia Interactive (PAA) texture file parser. The flaw occurs when the plug-in calculates image dimensions during file decompression. An integer overflow produces an undersized memory buffer, and subsequent processing reads memory past the buffer boundary. An attacker who convinces a user to open or preview a crafted PAA file can crash the plug-in process or trigger disclosure of adjacent memory contents. The vulnerability is tracked under CWE-190: Integer Overflow or Wraparound and requires local user interaction to exploit.
Critical Impact
Opening a malicious PAA texture file in GIMP can terminate the plug-in process and may expose sensitive memory contents from the application address space.
Affected Products
- GNU Image Manipulation Program (GIMP) — PAA texture file plug-in
- Linux distributions packaging affected GIMP builds (see Red Hat CVE-2026-62438 Advisory)
- Downstream applications bundling the vulnerable GIMP plug-in
Discovery Timeline
- 2026-10-16 - CVE-2026-62438 published to the National Vulnerability Database
- 2026-10-19 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2026-62438
Vulnerability Analysis
The vulnerability resides in the PAA file loader shipped with GIMP. PAA is a proprietary texture format used by Bohemia Interactive game engines. When the plug-in parses a PAA file, it reads image dimensions from the file header and multiplies width, height, and bytes-per-pixel to size the destination buffer.
An attacker-controlled combination of large width and height values causes the multiplication to wrap around the native integer type. The allocation call then receives a value far smaller than the data the decompressor will produce. During decompression, the plug-in writes and subsequently reads beyond the end of the undersized buffer.
The immediate observable result is termination of the plug-in process, producing a denial of service for the user session. Depending on heap layout, the out-of-bounds read can also expose adjacent process memory to the plug-in output path, enabling disclosure of sensitive data held in the GIMP address space.
Root Cause
The root cause is missing validation of arithmetic bounds before buffer allocation [CWE-190]. The plug-in trusts header-supplied dimensions and does not check for overflow in the size calculation or verify that the computed size matches the decompressed payload length.
Attack Vector
Exploitation requires a local user to open or preview a crafted PAA file in GIMP. Delivery can occur through phishing attachments, shared project archives, or malicious downloads. No elevated privileges are required to trigger the condition. The vulnerability does not provide remote network reachability, and successful exploitation produces an impact confined to the GIMP plug-in process.
No public proof-of-concept exploit is listed in the referenced advisories at this time. Technical details are tracked in GIMP Issue #16313 on GitLab and Red Hat Bug Report #2554456.
Detection Methods for CVE-2026-62438
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected GIMP plug-in crashes correlated with opening files bearing a .paa extension or PAA magic bytes
- Core dumps or crash reports originating from the GIMP PAA loader process
- Receipt of PAA files from untrusted email senders, chat channels, or file-sharing services
Detection Strategies
- Inspect endpoint telemetry for GIMP child process terminations with abnormal exit codes shortly after file-open events
- Hunt for PAA files written to user download or temporary directories from untrusted sources
- Correlate GIMP process execution with recent file-type conversions or archive extractions containing PAA assets
Monitoring Recommendations
- Enable process and file telemetry on workstations where GIMP is installed, especially in creative, modding, and game-development teams
- Alert on repeated GIMP plug-in crashes across endpoints as a potential indicator of targeted delivery
- Monitor email and web gateway logs for inbound attachments containing PAA files
How to Mitigate CVE-2026-62438
Immediate Actions Required
- Inventory all workstations running GIMP and identify versions shipping the vulnerable PAA plug-in
- Advise users to avoid opening or previewing PAA files received from untrusted sources until a patch is applied
- Apply vendor-supplied security updates as soon as they become available from GIMP maintainers and Linux distribution packagers
Patch Information
Refer to the Red Hat CVE-2026-62438 Advisory for distribution-specific package updates. Upstream remediation progress is tracked in GIMP Issue #16313 on GitLab. Deploy fixed GIMP packages through your standard patch management process once published.
Workarounds
- Remove or disable the PAA file loader plug-in from GIMP installations where PAA support is not required
- Block delivery of PAA attachments at email and web gateways for user populations that do not need the format
- Use file-type allowlists in document handling workflows to prevent automatic preview of PAA content
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
