CVE-2026-42146 Vulnerability Analysis & Exploit Details

CVE-2026-42146
Vulnerability Scoring

5.5
/10
Significant Risk

Security assessments indicate that CVE-2026-42146 presents a notable risk, potentially requiring prompt mitigation.

Attack Complexity Details

  • Attack Complexity: Low
    Exploits can be performed without significant complexity or special conditions.
  • Attack Vector: Local
    Vulnerability requires local system access.
  • Privileges Required: None
    No privileges are required for exploitation.
  • Scope: Unchanged
    Exploit remains within the originally vulnerable component.
  • User Interaction: Required
    User interaction is necessary for successful exploitation.

CVE-2026-42146 Details

Status: Received on 04 May 2026, 18:16 UTC

Published on: 04 May 2026, 18:16 UTC

CVSS Release: version 3

CVSS3 Source

security-advisories@github.com

CVSS3 Type

Secondary

CVSS3 Vector

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

CVE-2026-42146 Vulnerability Summary

CVE-2026-42146: CImg Library is a C++ library for image processing. Prior to commit c3aacf5, the nb_colors field read from the BMP file header is used directly to compute an allocation size without validating it against the remaining file size. A crafted BMP file with a large nb_colors value triggers an out-of-memory condition, crashing any application that uses CImg to load untrusted BMP files. This issue has been patched via commit c3aacf5.

Assessing the Risk of CVE-2026-42146

Access Complexity Graph

The exploitability of CVE-2026-42146 depends on two key factors: attack complexity (the level of effort required to execute an exploit) and privileges required (the access level an attacker needs).

Exploitability Analysis for CVE-2026-42146

With low attack complexity and no required privileges, CVE-2026-42146 is an easy target for cybercriminals. Organizations should prioritize immediate mitigation measures to prevent unauthorized access and data breaches.

Understanding AC and PR

A lower complexity and fewer privilege requirements make exploitation easier. Security teams should evaluate these aspects to determine the urgency of mitigation strategies, such as patch management and access control policies.

Attack Complexity (AC) measures the difficulty in executing an exploit. A high AC means that specific conditions must be met, making an attack more challenging, while a low AC means the vulnerability can be exploited with minimal effort.

Privileges Required (PR) determine the level of system access necessary for an attack. Vulnerabilities requiring no privileges are more accessible to attackers, whereas high privilege requirements limit exploitation to authorized users with elevated access.

CVSS Score Breakdown Chart

Above is the CVSS Sub-score Breakdown for CVE-2026-42146, illustrating how Base, Impact, and Exploitability factors combine to form the overall severity rating. A higher sub-score typically indicates a more severe or easier-to-exploit vulnerability.

CIA Impact Analysis

Below is the Impact Analysis for CVE-2026-42146, showing how Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability might be affected if the vulnerability is exploited. Higher values usually signal greater potential damage.

  • Confidentiality: None
    CVE-2026-42146 has no significant impact on data confidentiality.
  • Integrity: None
    CVE-2026-42146 poses no threat to data integrity.
  • Availability: High
    CVE-2026-42146 can disrupt system operations, potentially causing complete denial of service (DoS).

CVE-2026-42146 References

External References

CWE Common Weakness Enumeration

CWE-789

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