CVE-2026-2047
📋 TL;DR
This CVE describes a heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability in GIMP's ICNS file parser that allows remote code execution. Attackers can exploit this by tricking users into opening malicious ICNS files, potentially gaining control of the affected system. All GIMP users who process ICNS files are affected.
💻 Affected Systems
- GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program)
📦 What is this software?
Gimp by Gimp
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete system compromise with attacker gaining the same privileges as the GIMP user, potentially leading to data theft, ransomware deployment, or lateral movement.
Likely Case
Local privilege escalation or malware installation on the user's system, with potential data exfiltration.
If Mitigated
Application crash or denial of service if exploit fails, with no code execution due to security controls like ASLR or DEP.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires user interaction (opening malicious file). The vulnerability is in the ICNS parser specifically.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Version containing the fix from merge request 2600
Vendor Advisory: https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gimp/-/merge_requests/2600/diffs?commit_id=dd2faac351f1ff2588529fedc606e6a5f815577c
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Update GIMP to the latest version from official repositories. 2. On Linux: Use your package manager (apt, yum, etc.). 3. On Windows/macOS: Download from gimp.org. 4. Restart GIMP after update.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable ICNS file support
allRemove or disable ICNS file format handling in GIMP
Not applicable - requires configuration changes in GIMP settings
File type restrictions
allBlock ICNS files at network perimeter or endpoint
Not applicable - implement via security policies
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Restrict user permissions to limit impact of successful exploitation
- Implement application whitelisting to prevent unauthorized code execution
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check GIMP version and compare against patched versions. Vulnerable if using version before MR 2600 fix.Check Version:
gimp --version (Linux/macOS) or check About in GIMP GUIVerify Fix Applied:
Verify GIMP version is updated to include the fix from merge request 2600.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- GIMP crash logs with ICNS file processing
- Unexpected process creation from GIMP
Network Indicators:
- Downloads of ICNS files from untrusted sources
SIEM Query:
Process:gimp AND (FileExtension:icns OR CrashDetected)