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Memory Buffer Bounds ErrorWeakness · CWE-119

CVE-2026-5185

MEDIUM · 5.3 CVSS v3.1 Published 2026-03-31
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
55/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Zero-click

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
A security flaw has been discovered in Nothings stb_image up to 2.30. This affects the function stbi__gif_load_next of the file stb_image.h of the component Multi-frame GIF File Handler. The manipulation results in heap-based buffer overflow. The attack requires a local approach. The exploit has been released to the public and may be used for attacks. The vendor was contacted early about this disclosure but did not respond in any way.

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 confidence

Heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability in Nothings stb_image library (versions up to 2.30) in the stbi__gif_load_next function when processing multi-frame GIF files. The vulnerability allows a local attacker to corrupt heap memory through specially crafted malicious GIF files.

MitigationUpdate stb_image to a version beyond 2.30 when available; alternatively, implement strict input validation on GIF files before processing and run image parsing in a sandboxed environment to limit exploit impact.

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

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
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
Low
Integrity
Low
Availability
Low

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

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. Identify stb_image version in use
    Search for stb_image source files (stb_image.h, stb_image.c, stb_image_write.h) or compiled library binaries in your project. Check header files for version macros like STB_IMAGE_VERSION or stbi__version. Review build artifacts, dependency manifests, or package manager listings that reference stb_image.
    Affected if The installed version is 2.30 or earlier, or version information cannot be determined and stb_image is present
  2. Confirm GIF processing is enabled
    Check if your application or service links against stb_image and calls any GIF-related functions: stbi_load_gif, stbi_image_free (for GIFs), or uses stb_image for general image loading that could include GIF files. Review source code or binary dependencies for references to stbi__gif_load_next, stbi__load_gif, or similar GIF decoder symbols.
    Affected if GIF image loading/decoding functionality is present and actively used or could be invoked with user-controlled image input
  3. Verify multi-frame GIF handling is possible
    Inspect whether the application processes animated GIFs or multi-frame images. This includes checking if stbi_load_gif is called with output parameters for frame counts (like deltas), or if any code path handles multiple frames from a single GIF file. Look for loops or logic iterating over multiple image frames.
    Affected if Code handles or could handle multi-frame (animated) GIF files; the vulnerability triggers specifically when processing the second or subsequent frames via stbi__gif_load_next
  4. Check for sandbox or input validation on GIF files
    Determine if GIF files are processed in a sandboxed environment or subject to strict input validation before reaching stb_image. Review application security architecture for file upload handlers, image processing pipelines, or deserialization logic that inspects GIF content before passing to the library.
    Affected if No sandboxing or validation exists, and GIF files can be directly processed by stb_image without pre-filtering

Your environment is affected if stb_image version 2.30 or earlier is in use AND your application processes GIF files that could contain multiple frames, as the heap overflow occurs in stbi__gif_load_next when handling subsequent frames of animated GIFs.

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

Update stb_image to a version beyond 2.30 when available; alternatively, implement strict input validation on GIF files before processing and run image parsing in a sandboxed environment to limit exploit impact.

Have this fixed Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation6.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
15.0 hours of engineering $2,640
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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-2026-5185 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

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What belongs here
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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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