CVE-2026-21674
📋 TL;DR
CVE-2026-21674 is a memory leak vulnerability in iccDEV's XML parsing functionality (iccFromXml) that allows attackers to cause gradual memory exhaustion by repeatedly processing malicious XML files. This affects users of iccDEV libraries and tools for ICC color management profiles. The vulnerability can lead to denial of service through resource exhaustion.
💻 Affected Systems
- iccDEV libraries and tools
📦 What is this software?
Iccdev by Color
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Sustained exploitation could lead to complete system memory exhaustion, causing application crashes or system instability requiring reboot.
Likely Case
Gradual memory consumption leading to degraded application performance and potential application crashes over time.
If Mitigated
Minimal impact with proper monitoring and resource limits in place, though memory usage would still be inefficient.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires ability to supply XML input to vulnerable parsing function. No authentication bypass needed if XML input is accepted.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 2.3.1.1
Vendor Advisory: https://github.com/InternationalColorConsortium/iccDEV/security/advisories/GHSA-xww6-v3vg-4qc7
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Download iccDEV version 2.3.1.1 from official repository. 2. Replace existing iccDEV installation with patched version. 3. Restart any applications using iccDEV libraries.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable XML parsing
allTemporarily disable XML parsing functionality if not required
# Configure applications to avoid using iccFromXml function
# Use alternative ICC profile loading methods
Input validation
allImplement strict validation of XML input before processing
# Add XML schema validation before passing to iccDEV
# Limit XML file size and complexity
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement memory usage monitoring and alerts for applications using iccDEV
- Restrict XML input sources to trusted origins only
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check iccDEV version: if version ≤ 2.3.1 and application uses iccFromXml function, system is vulnerable.Check Version:
iccdev --version or check library version in application dependenciesVerify Fix Applied:
Verify iccDEV version is 2.3.1.1 or higher and test XML parsing functionality for memory stability.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual memory consumption patterns in application logs
- Application crashes with out-of-memory errors
Network Indicators:
- Repeated XML file uploads to vulnerable endpoints
SIEM Query:
source="application_logs" AND ("out of memory" OR "memory leak" OR "iccFromXml")🔗 References
- https://github.com/InternationalColorConsortium/iccDEV/commit/d7028d8f558bb681efe2b85f02eb4ca374502cbb
- https://github.com/InternationalColorConsortium/iccDEV/issues/241
- https://github.com/InternationalColorConsortium/iccDEV/security/advisories/GHSA-xww6-v3vg-4qc7
- https://github.com/InternationalColorConsortium/iccDEV/issues/241
