DCMTK through 3.6.6 does not handle memory free properly.
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Network
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- Denial of service
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- None · None · High
- Fix status
- No fix listed
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · NVD. Fix status from CNA. Impact type from CWE-415 and the CVSS impact.
Summary
DCMTK through 3.6.6 does not handle memory free properly. The object in the program is free but its address is still used in other locations. Sending specific requests to the dcmqrdb program will incur a double free. An attacker can use it to launch a DoS attack.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- None
- Automatable
- No
- Technical impact
- Partial
The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | — | all versions | — | No fix listed | CNA |
- — Vendor— Affected all versions Fixed in — No fix listed CNA
Remediation
No fixed version listed by the sources yet.
Vendor assessments
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2021-41688
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-fwff-cx6h-wxmq
References
More OFFIS Dcmtk vulnerabilities
- TI-2025-08922 DCMTK dcm2img diybrpxt.h memory corruption CVSS 4.0MEDIUM 4.8
- TI-2022-04568 DCMTK dcmqrscp dcmqrcnf.cc readPeerList null pointer dereference CVSS 4.0MEDIUM 4.8
- TI-2020-18990 DCMTK dcmqrscp parseQuota stack-based overflow CVSS 4.0MEDIUM 4.8
- TI-2024-22823 dcmnet in DCMTK before 3.6.9 has a segmentation fault via an invalid DIMSE message. CVSS 3.1MEDIUM 4.3
- TI-2019-16028 Out-of-bounds write in OFFIS.de DCMTK CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
- TI-2022-01961 OFFIS DCMTK Path Traversal CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
Sources
- CVE-2021-41688 · CVE Program
- CVE-2021-41688 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-fwff-cx6h-wxmq · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2021-41688 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences