CVE-2026-33021

high

Description

libsixel is a SIXEL encoder/decoder implementation derived from kmiya's sixel. Versions 1.8.7 and prior contain a use-after-free vulnerability in sixel_encoder_encode_bytes() because sixel_frame_init() stores the caller-owned pixel buffer pointer directly in frame->pixels without making a defensive copy. When a resize operation is triggered, sixel_frame_convert_to_rgb888() unconditionally frees this caller-owned buffer and replaces it with a new internal allocation, leaving the caller with a dangling pointer. Any subsequent access to the original buffer by the caller constitutes a use-after-free, confirmed by AddressSanitizer. An attacker who controls incoming frames can trigger this bug repeatedly and predictably, resulting in a reliable crash with potential for code execution. This issue has been fixed in version 1.8.7-r1.

References

https://github.com/saitoha/libsixel/security/advisories/GHSA-j6m5-2cc7-3whc

https://github.com/saitoha/libsixel/releases/tag/v1.8.7-r1

Details

Source: Mitre, NVD

Published: 2026-04-14

Updated: 2026-04-14

Risk Information

CVSS v2

Base Score: 6.1

Vector: CVSS2#AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:C

Severity: Medium

CVSS v3

Base Score: 7.3

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

Severity: High