CVE-2026-49796
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 · uneditedHeap-based buffer overflow in Windows GDI+ allows an unauthorized attacker to execute code locally.
In the news
Third-party coverage- Microsoft July 2026 Patch Tuesday fixes massive 570 flaws, 3 zero-days
- Microsoft CVE Summary - Bleeping Computer
Surfaced from public web coverage — external links open in a new tab.
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 · moderate confidenceA heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability exists in Windows GDI+ (Graphics Device Interface Plus) that allows a local, unauthorized attacker to execute arbitrary code. The vulnerability stems from improper bounds checking when GDI+ processes graphical data, potentially allowing an attacker to overwrite heap metadata and gain code execution privileges.
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< 10.0.14393.9339< 10.0.17763.9020< 10.0.19044.7548< 10.0.19045.7548< 10.0.26100.8875< 10.0.26200.8875< 10.0.28000.2269< 10.0.28000.2525all versions= r2CVSS 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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify Windows edition and build numberRun 'winver' from command prompt or 'systeminfo' and locate the 'OS Name' and 'OS Version' lines. Note the full build number (e.g., 10.0.19045.7548).Affected if The build number falls below any of the following thresholds: 14393.9339 (Windows 10 1607), 17763.9020 (Windows 10 1809), 19044.7548 (Windows 10 21h2), 19045.7548 (Windows 10 22h2), 26100.8875 (Windows 11 24h2), 26200.8875 (Windows 11 25h2), or 28000.2269/2525 (Windows 11 26h1), or if the system is
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Confirm Windows Server 2012/2012 R2 installationIf the system reports Windows Server 2012 or Windows Server 2012 R2 in the OS name, note that all versions of these products are affected per the CVE advisory.Affected if The installed system is Windows Server 2012 or Windows Server 2012 R2 (any version).
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Verify GDI+ component presenceGDI+ (gdiplus.dll) is a core Windows graphics component typically located at C:\Windows\System32\gdiplus.dll. Confirm its existence via 'dir C:\Windows\System32\gdiplus.dll'.Affected if The gdiplus.dll file exists on the system, which it does by default on all supported Windows versions.
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Check if graphical applications process untrusted inputReview which applications on the system have permission to process image files from untrusted sources (e.g., email attachments, web downloads, network shares). GDI+ is invoked when any application opens graphic files.Affected if Users or applications on the system can open graphical files (JPEG, PNG, BMP, TIFF, GIF, WMF, EMF) from untrusted or external sources.
A system is affected if it runs any version of Windows 10 1607, 1809, 21h2, 22h2, Windows 11 24h2, 25h2, 26h1, or any version of Windows Server 2012/2012 R2 that falls below the specified build thresholds and has GDI+ present (default).
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
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.
dbcve · scoped10.0.14393.933910.0.17763.902010.0.19044.7548
Apply Microsoft security updates for GDI+ when available, or implement application-level input validation for graphical operations to reduce attack surface. Consider restricting graphical file processing permissions for untrusted users.
Update to the specified build number for your Windows version via Windows Update or manual KB installation
- Identify the current Windows build version by running 'winver' or 'systeminfo | findstr /B /C:"OS Version"'
- Open Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update
- Click 'Check for updates' to download and install the latest security updates
- Alternatively, manually check for the specific KB patch via Microsoft Update Catalog using the CVE identifier
- Verify the installed build matches or exceeds the fixed version: Windows 10 1607 -> 10.0.14393.9339, Windows 10 1809 -> 10.0.17763.9020, Windows 10 21h2 -> 10.0.19044.7548, Windows 10 22h2 -> 10.0.19045.7548, Windows 11 24h2 -> 10.0.26100.8875, Windows 11 25h2 -> 10.0.26200.8875, Windows 11 26h1 -> 10.0.28000.2525
- For Windows Server 2012/R2: apply the latest cumulative security update from Windows Update or manually download the applicable KB from Microsoft Update Catalog
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation3.0 h
- Implementation6.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2026-49796 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2026-49796 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- 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