Heap Buffer Overflow in iccDEV (Crafted ICC Profile Crash)
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| CVE ID | CVE-2026-27692 |
| Affected Product | iccDEV (International Color Consortium reference implementation) |
| Affected Versions | ≤ 2.3.1.4 |
| Vulnerability Type | Heap Buffer Overflow / Out-of-Bounds Read |
| CVSS v3.1 Score | 7.1 (High) |
| Severity | High |
| Attack Vector | Local |
| User Interaction | Required |
| Privileges Required | None |
| Scope | Unchanged |
| Impact | Application crash; possible memory disclosure |
| Exploit Availability | No public exploit observed |
Official Patch
The issue has been fixed by the vendor in the upstream repository.
Official patch commit:
Users are advised to upgrade to a version containing this commit or later.
Overview
A heap buffer overflow condition was identified in iccDEV while parsing crafted ICC color profile files containing malformed XML-based text description tags. During processing of the CIccTagTextDescription structure, improper validation of string termination allows strlen() to read beyond allocated heap memory boundaries.
This condition results in out-of-bounds memory access. In practical scenarios, the application consuming the library crashes. Under certain memory layouts, unintended memory contents may also be disclosed.
The vulnerability manifests when specially crafted ICC profiles are parsed by applications embedding or linking against vulnerable iccDEV builds.
Technical Details
The flaw originates from improper bounds validation when handling XML text strings embedded inside ICC profile tags. The parsing logic assumes that strings are null-terminated. If a malicious ICC profile omits a proper null terminator or manipulates length fields inconsistently, the following occurs:
strlen()traverses memory beyond allocated buffer.- Heap memory is accessed outside valid bounds.
- A segmentation fault or access violation is triggered.
- Adjacent memory content may be read unintentionally.
The vulnerable logic resides in:
CIccTagTextDescription::Release()- XML string parsing routines related to
icXmlParseTextString()
Root cause categories include:
- Improper null termination (CWE-170)
- Out-of-bounds read (CWE-125)
- Memory handling weakness in heap allocation lifecycle
No stack corruption is confirmed in available analysis. The issue primarily results in read overflow rather than write overflow.
Exploitation Scenario
The vulnerability is exploitable through crafted file ingestion workflows.
Attack Chain
- A malicious ICC profile is created with malformed XML text description data.
- The profile is embedded into:
- JPEG images
- TIFF images
- Standalone
.iccor.icmfiles
- The victim opens or processes the file in software using iccDEV.
- During ICC parsing, out-of-bounds memory access occurs.
- Application crash or memory leakage follows.
Because the attack requires a file to be opened or processed, it is categorized as a local attack with user interaction required.
This vulnerability is particularly relevant in:
- Print pipelines
- Image conversion servers
- Graphic design software
- Automated document workflows
- Web applications performing server-side image transformations
Proof-of-Concept (Educational)
No official exploit has been published. However, a crash-inducing ICC profile can be generated by:
- Creating a valid ICC header.
- Injecting a malformed
<textDescription>XML field. - Manipulating the declared string length to exceed actual buffer size.
- Omitting null termination.
Example concept (not weaponized):
- Allocate declared length of 512 bytes.
- Provide 512 non-null bytes.
- Avoid null terminator.
- Force parser to rely on
strlen().
When parsed, the application will read beyond the heap boundary and crash.
This PoC is suitable only for controlled lab testing.
Impact Assessment
Availability Impact
High. Repeated processing of malicious files can cause repeated crashes and service interruption.
Confidentiality Impact
Moderate to High. Out-of-bounds reads may expose adjacent memory content including:
- Stack traces
- Heap fragments
- Sensitive process memory
- Configuration secrets in rare cases
Integrity Impact
No confirmed arbitrary memory overwrite in available analysis.
Detection Guidance
Detection should focus on behavioral indicators rather than static signatures alone.
Host-Based Indicators
- Application crashes when processing ICC-enabled images.
- Segmentation faults referencing ICC parsing modules.
- Access violations tied to color profile parsing.
- Repeated crashes in imaging software.
File-Based Indicators
- ICC files containing abnormally large
<textDescription>XML elements. - ICC profiles lacking proper null termination.
- Embedded XML content inconsistent with ICC specification.
Memory Indicators
- Heap-buffer-overflow reports under ASAN.
- Valgrind invalid read errors.
- Core dumps referencing string length operations.
Detection Queries
Windows Event Log (PowerShell)
Get-WinEvent -FilterHashtable @{
LogName='Application';
Id=1000
} | Where-Object {
$_.Message -match "icc" -or $_.Message -match "color"
}
Windows Event Log (KQL – Microsoft Sentinel)
Event
| where EventLog == "Application"
| where EventID == 1000
| where RenderedDescription contains "icc"
or RenderedDescription contains "color"
| summarize count() by Computer, bin(TimeGenerated, 1h)
Linux (journalctl)
journalctl -p err | grep -Ei "segfault|icc|color"
Splunk Query
index=windows EventCode=1000
("icc" OR "color" OR "access violation")
| stats count by host, source, _time
Elastic / Kibana (KQL)
event.code:1000 AND (message:*icc* OR message:*color*)
YARA Detection Rule
rule ICC_Malformed_TextDescription_Heuristic
{
meta:
description = "Detect suspicious ICC profiles with XML textDescription"
author = "Security Team"
strings:
$xml_open = "<textDescription"
$xml_close = "</textDescription>"
condition:
$xml_open and $xml_close and filesize < 10MB
}
This rule is heuristic and should be combined with behavioral monitoring.
Log Sources to Monitor
- Windows Application Log
- Windows Error Reporting (WER)
- Linux syslog
- Linux kernel logs
- EDR/XDR crash telemetry
- Web upload logs
- Email attachment gateways
- File integrity monitoring systems
Mitigation
- Upgrade iccDEV to a version containing the official patch commit.
- Restrict ingestion of untrusted ICC files.
- Validate ICC structure before parsing.
- Run image-processing services in sandboxed environments.
- Enable compiler protections (ASLR, DEP, stack canaries).
- Rebuild with AddressSanitizer for validation testing.
Recommended Hardening
- Disable ICC profile processing if not required.
- Implement strict file-type validation.
- Enforce maximum length limits for ICC text tags.
- Apply least-privilege execution for processing services.
- Monitor for repeated crashes as exploitation attempts.
Conclusion
CVE-2026-27692 represents a memory safety flaw in ICC profile parsing logic within iccDEV. While direct remote exploitation is not inherent, the widespread use of ICC profiles in image processing workflows increases practical risk.
Systems processing untrusted image files are especially exposed. Immediate upgrade to a patched version is strongly recommended. Continuous monitoring for crash behavior and suspicious ICC file ingestion should be implemented as part of defensive controls.
