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Vulnerability record · CVE-2026-33023 · published 14 April 2026

CVE-2026-33023: Saitoha libsixel use after free vulnerability

SSaitoha · Libsixel

libsixel is a SIXEL encoder/decoder implementation derived from kmiya's sixel. In versions 1.8.7 and prior, when built with the --with-gdk-pixbuf2 option, a use-after-free vulnerability exists in load_with_gdkpixbuf() in loader.c. The cleanup path manually frees the sixel_frame_t object and its internal buffers without consulting the reference count, even though the object was created via the refcounted constructor sixel_frame_new() and exposed to the public callback. A callback that calls sixel_frame_ref(frame) to retain a logically valid reference will hold a dangling pointer after sixel_helper_load_image_file() returns, and any subsequent access to the frame or its fields triggers a use-after-free confirmed by AddressSanitizer. The root cause is a consistency failure between two cleanup strategies in the same codebase: sixel_frame_unref() is used in load_with_builtin() but raw free() is used in load_with_gdkpixbuf(). An attacker supplying a crafted image to any application built against libsixel with gdk-pixbuf2 support can trigger this reliably, potentially leading to information disclosure, memory corruption, or code execution. This issue has been fixed in version 1.8.7-r1.

7.8 CVSS 3.1 High EPSS 0.25% · top 84.9% CWE-416 · Use after free
7.8CVSS 3.1 base score
0.25%EPSS exploitation probability, 30 days
NoNot in CISA KEV
1Affected product versions listed by NVD
3References, 2 tagged exploit
25 Jul 2026Last modified by NVD

Description

libsixel is a SIXEL encoder/decoder implementation derived from kmiya's sixel. In versions 1.8.7 and prior, when built with the --with-gdk-pixbuf2 option, a use-after-free vulnerability exists in load_with_gdkpixbuf() in loader.c. The cleanup path manually frees the sixel_frame_t object and its internal buffers without consulting the reference count, even though the object was created via the refcounted constructor sixel_frame_new() and exposed to the public callback. A callback that calls sixel_frame_ref(frame) to retain a logically valid reference will hold a dangling pointer after sixel_helper_load_image_file() returns, and any subsequent access to the frame or its fields triggers a use-after-free confirmed by AddressSanitizer. The root cause is a consistency failure between two cleanup strategies in the same codebase: sixel_frame_unref() is used in load_with_builtin() but raw free() is used in load_with_gdkpixbuf(). An attacker supplying a crafted image to any application built against libsixel with gdk-pixbuf2 support can trigger this reliably, potentially leading to information disclosure, memory corruption, or code execution. This issue has been fixed in version 1.8.7-r1.

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Affected products

1 vulnerable configurations from NVD's CPE data, grouped by vendor and product.

References

LinkTags
https://github.com/saitoha/libsixel/releases/tag/v1.8.7-r1 Release Notes
https://github.com/saitoha/libsixel/security/advisories/GHSA-hr25-g2j6-qjw6 ExploitVendor Advisory
https://github.com/saitoha/libsixel/security/advisories/GHSA-hr25-g2j6-qjw6 ExploitVendor Advisory

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Related vulnerabilities

Same products first, then exploited flaws of the same weakness class.

9.8CVE-2019-19637Saitoha libsixel integer overflow vulnerabilityAn issue was discovered in libsixel 1.8.2. There is an integer overflow in the function sixel_decode_raw_impl at fromsixel.c.EPSS 1.2%9.8CVE-2019-19638Saitoha libsixel integer overflow vulnerabilityAn issue was discovered in libsixel 1.8.2. There is a heap-based buffer overflow in the function load_pnm at frompnm.c, due to an integer overflow.EPSS 1.2%9.8CVE-2019-19635Saitoha libsixel out-of-bounds write vulnerabilityAn issue was discovered in libsixel 1.8.2. There is a heap-based buffer overflow in the function sixel_decode_raw_impl at fromsixel.c.EPSS 1.2%9.8CVE-2019-19636Saitoha libsixel integer overflow vulnerabilityAn issue was discovered in libsixel 1.8.2. There is an integer overflow in the function sixel_encode_body at tosixel.c.EPSS 1.2%8.8CVE-2022-27044Saitoha libsixel out-of-bounds write vulnerabilitylibsixel 1.8.6 is affected by Buffer Overflow in libsixel/src/quant.c:876.EPSS 1.0%8.8CVE-2022-27046Saitoha libsixel use after free vulnerabilitylibsixel 1.8.6 suffers from a Heap Use After Free vulnerability in in libsixel/src/dither.c:388.EPSS 1.0%8.8CVE-2020-21547Saitoha libsixel out-of-bounds write vulnerabilityLibsixel 1.8.2 contains a heap-based buffer overflow in the dither_func_fs function in tosixel.c.EPSS 1.1%8.8CVE-2020-21548Saitoha libsixel out-of-bounds write vulnerabilityLibsixel 1.8.3 contains a heap-based buffer overflow in the sixel_encode_highcolor function in tosixel.c.EPSS 1.1%

Source: NIST National Vulnerability Database (record CVE-2026-33023), CISA KEV, FIRST EPSS (scores of 2026-09-26). This page is refreshed as NVD updates the record.