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7.8

GIMP Can Execute Malicious Code if You Open a Bad File

CVE-2026-2045
Summary

A security flaw in GIMP's ability to open XWD files allows hackers to run malicious code on your computer if you visit a bad website or open a bad file. This can happen if you interact with a malicious page or open a file that contains malicious code. To stay safe, avoid opening unknown files or visiting untrusted websites until a fix is available.

What to do

No fix is available yet. Check with your software vendor for updates.

Affected software
VendorProductAffected versionsFix available
gimp gimp 3.0.6 –
Original title
GIMP XWD File Parsing Out-Of-Bounds Write Remote Code Execution Vulnerability. This vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected installations of GIMP. User interacti...
Original description
GIMP XWD File Parsing Out-Of-Bounds Write Remote Code Execution Vulnerability. This vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected installations of GIMP. User interaction is required to exploit this vulnerability in that the target must visit a malicious page or open a malicious file.

The specific flaw exists within the parsing of XWD files. The issue results from the lack of proper validation of user-supplied data, which can result in a write past the end of an allocated buffer. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to execute code in the context of the current process. Was ZDI-CAN-28265.
nvd CVSS3.0 7.8
Vulnerability type
CWE-787 Out-of-bounds Write
Published: 20 Feb 2026 · Updated: 12 Mar 2026 · First seen: 6 Mar 2026