Uncontrolled recursion in DCMTK xml2dcm allows denial of service
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Local
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- Passive
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Attack requirements
- None
- Impact type
- Denial of service
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- None · None · High
- Fix status
- No fix listed
Attack profile from CVSS 4.0 · CNA. Fix status from CNA. Impact type from CWE-674.
Summary
OFFIS DCMTK affected from 3.7.0 has uncontrolled mutual recursion in its XML-to-DICOM converter xml2dcm (CWE-674). If a user processes a crafted XML file with deeply nested sequence and item elements, the stack is exhausted and the process crashes. Any service that converts untrusted XML to DICOM with this code is also affected, and a local user can trigger the denial of service.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-10-29
Description from the CNA
Uncontrolled mutual recursion between DcmXMLParseHelper::parseDataSet() and DcmXMLParseHelper::parseSequence() in the XML-to-DICOM converter (dcmdata/libdcxml/xml2dcm.cc) of OFFIS DCMTK 3.7.0 allows an attacker to cause a denial of service (stack exhaustion and process crash) via a crafted XML file with deeply nested sequence and item elements. The xml2dcm tool and any service that converts untrusted XML to DICOM with this code are affected. The issue is fixed in commit 87f256d73e30656a822bf7d76d1cf1d9bb693954.
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
Remediation
The issue is fixed in commit 87f256d73e30656a822bf7d76d1cf1d9bb693954. The sources list no fixed version for DCMTK.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-10-29
Vendor assessments
Timeline
- 2026-10-08 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-44036
- 2026-10-08 Alias added: GHSA-hch2-45m4-65gq
- 2026-10-08 CISA SSVC decision points changed
- 2026-10-08 Priority changed: MEDIUM → LOW
- 2026-10-09 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
- 2026-10-09 CVSS score added · Red Hat
References
Patch 1
Advisory 1
More OFFIS vulnerabilities
- TI-2026-10943 OFFIS DCMTK ofxml.cc parseFile heap-based overflow CVSS 4.0MEDIUM 5.3
- 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
Sources
- CVE-2026-44036 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-44036 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-hch2-45m4-65gq · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2026-44036 · 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