📄 Description (English)
A flaw was found in GIMP. Processing a specially crafted PVR image file with large dimensions can lead to a denial of service (DoS). This occurs due to a stack-based buffer overflow and an out-of-bounds read in the PVR image loader, causing the application to crash. Systems that process untrusted PVR image files are affected.
🤖 AI Executive Summary
CVE-2026-40918 is a medium-severity denial of service vulnerability in GIMP's PVR image loader that can crash the application when processing specially crafted image files with large dimensions. The vulnerability stems from a stack-based buffer overflow and out-of-bounds read, affecting systems that handle untrusted PVR images. While no exploit is currently available and no patch has been released, organizations should implement compensating controls immediately.
📄 Description (Arabic)
🤖 AI Intelligence Analysis Analyzed: May 26, 2026 04:33
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia Impact Assessment
This vulnerability primarily affects Saudi organizations in creative and design sectors (advertising agencies, media production companies, government media departments) that use GIMP for image processing. Government entities using GIMP for document processing and digital asset management are at moderate risk. The impact is limited to denial of service rather than data breach, making it less critical than remote code execution vulnerabilities. However, disruption to media production workflows and government digital services could affect operations.
🏢 Affected Saudi Sectors
Media and Broadcasting
Government (Digital Services)
Advertising and Design
Education (Universities with design programs)
Publishing
🎯 MITRE ATT&CK Techniques
⚖️ Saudi Risk Score (AI)
4.2
/ 10.0
🔧 Remediation Steps (English)
Immediate Actions:
1. Restrict GIMP usage to trusted image sources only; disable automatic image processing from untrusted sources
2. Implement file validation: reject PVR files from external/untrusted sources until patch availability
3. Run GIMP in sandboxed environments (containers, virtual machines) to limit crash impact
4. Monitor GIMP processes for unexpected termination and log all image processing activities
Compensating Controls:
5. Deploy input validation at network boundaries to filter suspicious PVR files
6. Use file type verification tools to validate PVR file headers before processing
7. Implement application whitelisting to prevent unauthorized GIMP versions
8. Create isolated image processing workflows for untrusted content
Detection Rules:
9. Alert on GIMP process crashes with PVR file access in logs
10. Monitor for unusual PVR file dimensions (>65535 pixels) in file metadata
11. Track failed image processing operations in GIMP audit logs
12. Watch for repeated GIMP crashes from same source IP/user
🔧 خطوات المعالجة (العربية)
الإجراءات الفورية:
1. تقييد استخدام GIMP على مصادر الصور الموثوقة فقط؛ تعطيل معالجة الصور التلقائية من مصادر غير موثوقة
2. تطبيق التحقق من الملفات: رفض ملفات PVR من مصادر خارجية/غير موثوقة حتى توفر التصحيح
3. تشغيل GIMP في بيئات معزولة (حاويات، آلات افتراضية) لتحديد تأثير الأعطال
4. مراقبة عمليات GIMP للإنهاء غير المتوقع وتسجيل جميع أنشطة معالجة الصور
الضوابط التعويضية:
5. نشر التحقق من المدخلات على حدود الشبكة لتصفية ملفات PVR المريبة
6. استخدام أدوات التحقق من نوع الملف للتحقق من رؤوس ملفات PVR قبل المعالجة
7. تطبيق القائمة البيضاء للتطبيقات لمنع إصدارات GIMP غير المصرح بها
8. إنشاء سير عمل معالجة صور معزول للمحتوى غير الموثوق
قواعد الكشف:
9. تنبيهات عند أعطال عملية GIMP مع وصول ملف PVR في السجلات
10. مراقبة أبعاد ملفات PVR غير العادية (>65535 بكسل) في بيانات تعريف الملف
11. تتبع عمليات معالجة الصور الفاشلة في سجلات تدقيق GIMP
12. مراقبة أعطال GIMP المتكررة من نفس IP المصدر/المستخدم
📋 Regulatory Compliance Mapping
🟢 NCA ECC 2024
ECC 2024 A.12.6.1 - Management of technical vulnerabilities
ECC 2024 A.14.2.1 - Secure development policy
ECC 2024 A.12.2.1 - Monitoring and logging
🔵 SAMA CSF
ID.RA-1 - Asset management and vulnerability identification
PR.IP-12 - Software development security practices
DE.CM-1 - Detection and analysis of anomalies
🟡 ISO 27001:2022
A.12.6.1 - Management of technical vulnerabilities
A.14.2.1 - Secure development policy and procedures
A.12.4.1 - Event logging