CVE Intelligence
High Memory corruption exploit reference

CVE-2026-25646 — LIBPNG has a heap buffer overflow in png_set_quantize

LIBPNG is a reference library for use in applications that read, create, and manipulate PNG (Portable Network Graphics) raster image files. Prior to 1.6.55, an out-of-bounds read vulnerability exists in the png_set_quantize() API function. When the function is called with no histogram and the number of colors in the palette is more than twice the maximum supported by the user's display, certain palettes will cause the function to enter into an infinite loop that reads past the end of an internal heap-allocated buffer. The images that trigger this vulnerability are valid per the PNG specification. This vulnerability is fixed in 1.6.55.

Published Feb 10, 2026 · Updated Oct 13, 2026 · Sources: NIST National Vulnerability Database, CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP · CNA: GitHub_M

Who exploits it and how urgent it is

A 0–100 score combining confirmed exploitation, ransomware and APT use, public exploits, EPSS and severity.

No exploitation signal in the sources consulted so far.
How the score was calculated
  • EPSS 0.7% (30-day exploitation probability)+8
  • Technical severity (high)+6
  • CISA SSVC: exploitation "poc"+5

The score orders the patch queue; it does not replace your asset context (internet exposure, criticality, compensating controls).

Triage

Is it exploited, how likely is exploitation, what does it touch, and how severe do the sources call it.

Exploitation
Not confirmed
Not in CISA KEV — an absence of record, not proof it is unexploited.
EPSS FIRST
0.72%
ahead of 53% of scored CVEs · Oct 14, 2026
Affects
Libpng
Libpng
CVSS base
8.1
High · 4 source(s)

CISA SSVC assessment CISA

Three decision points CISA publishes for the CVEs it assesses (SSVC 2.0.3). A stakeholder decision, not a severity score.

Exploitation
Proof of concept
none · proof-of-concept · active
Automatable
No
can an attacker script the kill-chain steps
Technical impact
Partial
partial · total control of the vulnerable component

Remediation

Fixes and mitigations documented by the sources — linked to the original advisory.

  • Documented patch — github.com (NIST National Vulnerability Database)

First 24 hours

Ordered from the record’s own fields — exposure first, because you cannot patch what you have not found. A rule-generated starting point.

  1. Identify exposed assets running the affected vendor/product/version combinations (Libpng Libpng, Pnggroup Libpng).
  2. The attack is network-based and needs no privileges: restrict exposure (ACLs, VPN, WAF) until patched.
  3. Apply the fixed version or the patch documented under Remediation.
  4. Search available logs for exploit probes matching the vulnerability class (memory corruption), errors and authentication anomalies.

Affected scope

Vendor, product and versions as the sources word them.

VendorProductVersionsStatusSource
Libpng Libpng < 1.6.55 Vulnerable NIST National Vulnerability Database
Pnggroup Libpng version < 1.6.55 Vulnerable CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP

Attack characteristics

The CVSS vector, decoded. It describes the attack, not your exposure to it.

Attack vector
Network
Attack complexity
High
Privileges required
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

Every base score collected

Sources score independently and may disagree; each row says who scored it and under which version.

ScoreVersionSeverityExpl.ImpactScored by
8.3 CVSS 4.0 High — — security-advisories@github.com via NIST National Vulnerability Database
8.3 CVSS 4.0 High — — GitHub_M via CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP
8.1 CVSS 3.1 High 2.2 5.9 nvd@nist.gov via NIST National Vulnerability Database
7.0 CVSS 3.1 High 2.2 4.7 0b0ca135-0b70-47e7-9f44-1890c2a1c46c via NIST National Vulnerability Database
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H (score shown at the top: nvd@nist.gov)
Scoring entities (NIST, CNA, ADP) score independently; each score is shown with its origin. For prioritization we use 8.1 (NVD (NIST)) as a conservative provisional reference — not a definitive official score.

Weakness MITRE

Weakness class according to MITRE’s CWE catalog.

CWE-122 · Heap-based Buffer Overflow

Other CVEs with this weakness →

EPSS over time FIRST

Oct 13, 2026 → Oct 14, 2026 · 2 reading(s) · max 0.72%

Detection

Read off the CVSS vector and the weakness class. Starting points, not tested rules.

  • Prioritize edge telemetry for the network-reachable component (proxy, WAF, IDS/IPS).
  • Correlate service crashes/restarts with inbound traffic; repeated crashes may indicate attempts.
web/proxy/WAF logsnetwork IDS/IPSendpoint telemetry (EDR)crash dumps

Timeline

What happened to this CVE, newest first.

  • 2026
  • Affected products added · pnggroup/libpng
    Oct 13, 2026 · CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP
  • SSVC assessment updated
    Oct 13, 2026 · CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP
  • Record published
    Oct 13, 2026
  • Fix documented
    Oct 13, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
  • CVSS changed · 8.1
    Oct 13, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
  • Source status changed · → Modified
    Oct 13, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
  • Record created in this database
    Oct 13, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
  • CVE published
    Feb 10, 2026 · GitHub_M

Source activity

Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.

  • 1× Official description updated · Oct 13, 2026 – Oct 13, 2026

References

51 on the record

Elsewhere on this site

Libpng
every CVE for this vendor
Memory corruption
same class
CWE-122
other pages naming this weakness

Related CVEs (same products)

  • CVE-2026-40930 LIBPNG: Chunk smuggling in push-mode APNG parser via unconsumed chunk body Jun 4, 2026
  • CVE-2026-34757 LIBPNG has a yse-after-free in png_set_PLTE, png_set_tRNS and png_set_hIST leading to corrupted chunk data and potential heap information disclosure Apr 9, 2026
  • CVE-2026-33636 LIBPNG has ARM NEON Palette Expansion Out-of-Bounds Read on AArch64 Mar 26, 2026
  • CVE-2026-33416 LIBPNG has use-after-free via pointer aliasing in `png_set_tRNS` and `png_set_PLTE` Mar 26, 2026
  • CVE-2026-3713 pnggroup libpng pnm2png pnm2png.c do_pnm2png heap-based overflow Mar 8, 2026
  • CVE-2025-28164 Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime in Libpng Jan 27, 2026

Not in any source we poll

Listed rather than left blank: an empty field and an unmeasured one look identical on screen, and only one is a reason to look elsewhere.

  • No confirmed IOCs, IP addresses, domains, file hashes, or malware artifacts supplied.
  • No organization-specific asset inventory, compensating-control status, or patch deployment evidence supplied.
  • No exploit packet captures, log samples, or incident case IDs supplied.

Answered from this record

Text assembled only from the fields above — no additional claims.

What should defenders know first?

CVE-2026-25646 is "LIBPNG has a heap buffer overflow in png_set_quantize", rated High. It affects Libpng (Libpng); versions are in the scope table. It is not in CISA KEV, which does not rule out exploitation. CVSS 8.1 describes technical severity. EPSS 0.72% estimates the probability of exploitation in 30 days; neither replaces your asset context. First verify whether exposed or business-critical assets run the affected versions, apply vendor fixes or mitigations, and preserve logs for review.

Comments

Moderated technical discussion. Read the community guidelines.

No comments yet.

Sign in or create an account to comment and suggest corrections.