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GimpApplication

CVE-2026-2048

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2026-02-20
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
81/100
Remediation priority · High
No privileges

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
GIMP XWD File Parsing Out-Of-Bounds Write Remote Code Execution Vulnerability. This vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected installations of GIMP. User interaction is required to exploit this vulnerability in that the target must visit a malicious page or open a malicious file. The specific flaw exists within the parsing of XWD files. The issue results from the lack of proper validation of user-supplied data, which can result in a write past the end of an allocated buffer. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to execute code in the context of the current process. Was ZDI-CAN-28591.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

GIMP contains an out-of-bounds write vulnerability in its XWD (X Window Dump) file parser due to insufficient validation of user-supplied data. When parsing a maliciously crafted XWD file, the parser writes data past the end of an allocated buffer, leading to memory corruption that can be leveraged for remote code execution in the context of the current process.

MitigationUntil an official patch is released, avoid opening XWD files from untrusted sources. Consider disabling or removing XWD file format support in GIMP, or use file type detection utilities to verify file integrity before opening.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
GimpApplication
Affected:= 3.2.0

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Local
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
Required
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Verify GIMP installation
    Run 'gimp --version' in a terminal or check your system's package manager for installed GIMP packages
    Affected if GIMP is not installed on the system
  2. Confirm exact version is 3.2.0
    Execute 'gimp --version' and verify the output shows version 3.2.0 exactly
    Affected if The installed GIMP version is 3.2.0
  3. Check XWD file format support is available
    Look for XWD in GIMP's supported file formats (File > Open, file type dropdown) or attempt to load an XWD file
    Affected if XWD format is listed as a supported file type and can be loaded
  4. Verify ability to open XWD files
    Attempt to open any XWD file through GIMP's File > Open dialog or by drag-and-drop
    Affected if GIMP successfully opens or imports XWD files without error

You are affected only if GIMP version 3.2.0 is installed AND XWD file format support is present and functional in your environment.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

From vendor data
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Until an official patch is released, avoid opening XWD files from untrusted sources. Consider disabling or removing XWD file format support in GIMP, or use file type detection utilities to verify file integrity before opening.

Fix this in Gimp Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation12.0 h
  • Testing8.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
28.0 hours of engineering $4,880
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2026-2048 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data