libsixel: Integer Overflow in write_png_to_file() leads to Heap-based Buffer Overflow
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Local
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- —
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- None · High · High
- Fix status
- Fixed
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CNA. Fix status from CNA.
Summary
libsixel is a SIXEL encoder/decoder implementation derived from kmiya's sixel. Versions 1.8.7 and prior contain an integer overflow which leads to a heap buffer overflow via sixel_frame_convert_to_rgb888() in frame.c, where allocation size and pointer offset computations for palettised images (PAL1, PAL2, PAL4) are performed using int arithmetic before casting to size_t. For images whose pixel count exceeds INT_MAX / 4, the overflow produces an undersized heap allocation for the conversion buffer and a negative pointer offset for the normalization sub-buffer, after which sixel_helper_normalize_pixelformat() writes the full image data starting from the invalid pointer, causing massive heap corruption confirmed by ASAN. An attacker providing a specially crafted large palettised PNG can corrupt the heap of the victim process, resulting in a reliable crash and potential arbitrary code execution. This issue has been fixed in version 1.8.7-r1.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- Poc
- Automatable
- No
- Technical impact
- Total
The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.
Affected products
Remediation
- Fix · CNA libsixel (saitoha) Fixed in 1.8.7-r1
Vendor assessments
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-33020
References
More saitoha Libsixel vulnerabilities
- TI-2026-32536 libsixel: integer overflow in encoder CVSS 3.1HIGH 7.8
- TI-2026-25469 libsixel: Use-after-free in load_with_gdkpixbuf() CVSS 3.1HIGH 7.8
- TI-2026-32537 libsixel: integer overflow in parser CVSS 3.1HIGH 7.1
- TI-2026-25464 libsixel: Use-After-Free in load_gif() CVSS 3.1HIGH 7.0
- TI-2026-25467 libsixel: Use-after-free in sixel_encoder_encode_bytes() CVSS 3.1HIGH 7.3
- TI-2026-25465 libsixel: Integer overflow leads to Out-of-bounds Read in img2sixel CVSS 3.1HIGH 7.1
Sources
- CVE-2026-33020 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-33020 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- CVE-2026-33020 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
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