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OrthancApplication · Orthanc Server

CVE-2026-5441

HIGH · 7.1 CVSS v3.1 Published 2026-04-09
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 1.12.11 or later.
See remediation →
74/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
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
An out-of-bounds read vulnerability exists in the `DecodePsmctRle1` function of `DicomImageDecoder.cpp`. The `PMSCT_RLE1` decompression routine, which decodes the proprietary Philips Compression format, does not properly validate escape markers placed near the end of the compressed data stream. A crafted sequence at the end of the buffer can cause the decoder to read beyond the allocated memory region and leak heap data into the rendered image output.

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

An out-of-bounds read vulnerability exists in the DecodePsmctRle1 function in DicomImageDecoder.cpp. The PMSCT_RLE1 decompression routine for Philips proprietary compression format fails to properly validate escape markers near the end of the compressed data stream, allowing reads beyond allocated buffer boundaries and leaking heap memory contents into the rendered DICOM image output.

MitigationFix the DecodePsmctRle1 function to add proper bounds checking and validation of escape markers before memory reads, ensuring the decoder cannot read past the end of the compressed data buffer. Update to a patched version from the DICOM library vendor.

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
OrthancApplication
Affected:< 1.12.11

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
None
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/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 Orthanc Server is installed
    Check for Orthanc installation by searching for the orthanc executable or service: which orthanc, systemctl list-units --type=service | grep orthanc, or check installed packages
    Affected if Orthanc Server is present on the system
  2. Determine the installed Orthanc version
    Run orthanc --version or check the package manager: dpkg -l | grep orthanc or rpm -qi orthanc. Compare the version number to 1.12.11
    Affected if The installed version is lower than 1.12.11 (e.g., 1.12.10, 1.12.9, etc.)
  3. Confirm DICOM file processing capability is active
    Check if Orthanc is running and has received or can receive DICOM instances. Review Orthanc configuration for enabled plugins or compression modules that handle proprietary formats
    Affected if Orthanc is configured to accept and decompress DICOM files, particularly those using Philips PMSCT_RLE1 compression
  4. Identify if Philips PMSCT_RLE1 compressed DICOM files are processed
    Review Orthanc logs or stored DICOM metadata for TransferSyntaxUID values corresponding to Philips proprietary compression, or test with a sample PMSCT_RLE1 compressed DICOM file
    Affected if The system processes or has processed DICOM files using the Philips PMSCT_RLE1 compression format

You are affected if Orthanc Server is installed with a version lower than 1.12.11 and processes DICOM files using Philips PMSCT_RLE1 compression, as the vulnerable DecodePsmctRle1 decompression routine will read beyond buffer boundaries.

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.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 1.12.11 or later
Fixed in 1.12.11
Interim mitigation

Fix the DecodePsmctRle1 function to add proper bounds checking and validation of escape markers before memory reads, ensuring the decoder cannot read past the end of the compressed data buffer. Update to a patched version from the DICOM library vendor.

Recommended fix High confidence

Orthanc 1.12.11 or later

  1. 1. Check the current version of Orthanc installed (e.g., using `orthanc --version` or checking the package manager)
  2. 2. For package-based installations (Debian/Ubuntu, RHEL/CentOS, Docker): update the Orthanc package to version 1.12.11 or later
  3. 3. For source installations: download and compile Orthanc version 1.12.11 or later from the official repository
  4. 4. After upgrading, restart the Orthanc service
  5. 5. Verify the new version is running: `orthanc --version` should show 1.12.11 or higher
  6. 6. Test DICOM image processing functionality to confirm normal operation
Caveat Upgrading Orthanc may require verifying compatibility with existing plugins, configurations, and DICOM workflows; ensure backup of configuration before upgrade

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Orthanc Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA3.0 h
21.0 hours of engineering $3,680
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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-2026-5441 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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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