Code execution via stale output buffer pool
Published Aug 20, 2026 · Updated Aug 21, 2026
Heap buffer overflow in the gdkpixbufdec element in GStreamer gst-plugins-good before 1.28.5 allows attackers to execute code via crafted image sequences. The decoder sizes its output buffer pool from the first frame only and does not reconfigure it when later frames change dimensions or pixel format, so larger subsequent frames overflow undersized heap buffers. Reachability requires an application to process consecutive untrusted images through gdkpixbufdec, such as in a container, stream, or web-delivered sequence; successful exploitation can crash the process, corrupt data, or execute code with the current process privileges.
Summary
What happened
Heap buffer overflow in the gdkpixbufdec element in GStreamer gst-plugins-good before 1.28.5 allows attackers to execute code via crafted image sequences. The decoder sizes its output buffer pool from the first frame only and does not reconfigure it when later frames change dimensions or pixel format, so larger subsequent frames overflow undersized heap buffers. Reachability requires an application to process consecutive untrusted images through gdkpixbufdec, such as in a container, stream, or web-delivered sequence; successful exploitation can crash the process, corrupt data, or execute code with the current process privileges.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-18298
- Published
- Aug 20, 2026
- Updated
- Aug 21, 2026
- Vendor
- GStreamer Project
- Product
- GStreamer
- Classifications
- CWE-122, T1203
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Aug 20, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Aug 21, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
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- Affected versionversion=13fcb641ed33d1472e4ffdec2846180b15405053
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
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Public exploit references
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Technologies
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Your stack
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