CVE-2026-40494
CVE-2026-40494 is a critical-severity vulnerability with a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-787.
Key facts
- Severity: Critical (CVSS 3.x base score 9.8)
- EPSS exploit prediction: 0% (23rd percentile)
- Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
- EU (EUVD) id: EUVD-2026-23648
- Weakness: CWE-787
- Published:
- Last modified:
Description
SAIL is a cross-platform library for loading and saving images with support for animation, metadata, and ICC profiles. Prior to commit 45d48d1f2e8e0d73e80bc1fd5310cb57f4547302, the TGA codec's RLE decoder in `tga.c` has an asymmetric bounds check vulnerability. The run-packet path (line 297) correctly clamps the repeat count to the remaining buffer space, but the raw-packet path (line 305-311) has no equivalent bounds check. This allows writing up to 496 bytes of attacker-controlled data past the end of a heap buffer. Commit 45d48d1f2e8e0d73e80bc1fd5310cb57f4547302 patches the issue.
Frequently asked questions
- What is CVE-2026-40494?
- SAIL is a cross-platform library for loading and saving images with support for animation, metadata, and ICC profiles. Prior to commit 45d48d1f2e8e0d73e80bc1fd5310cb57f4547302, the TGA codec's RLE decoder in `tga.c` has an asymmetric bounds check vulnerability. The run-packet path (line 297) correctly clamps the repeat count to the remaining buffer space, but the raw-packet path (line 305-311) has no equivalent bounds check. This allows writing up to 496 bytes of attacker-controlled data past the end of a heap buffer. Commit 45d48d1f2e8e0d73e80bc1fd5310cb57f4547302 patches the issue.
- How severe is CVE-2026-40494?
- CVE-2026-40494 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
- Is CVE-2026-40494 being actively exploited?
- It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (23rd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
- How do I fix CVE-2026-40494?
- Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its critical severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
- Does CVE-2026-40494 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?
- Yes. CVE-2026-40494 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2026-23648.
- When was CVE-2026-40494 published?
- CVE-2026-40494 was published on 2026-04-18 and last updated on 2026-06-17.
References
- https://github.com/HappySeaFox/sail/commit/45d48d1f2e8e0d73e80bc1fd5310cb57f4547302
- https://github.com/HappySeaFox/sail/security/advisories/GHSA-cp2j-rwh4-r46f
Other CWE-787 (Out-of-bounds Write) vulnerabilities
- CVE-2026-42369 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): GV-VMS V20 is a Video Monitoring Software used to gather the feeds of many surveillance cameras and manage other…
- CVE-2026-4746 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Out-of-bounds Write vulnerability in timeplus-io proton (base/poco/Foundation/src modules). This vulnerability is…
- CVE-2025-43300 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): An out-of-bounds write issue was addressed with improved bounds checking. This issue is fixed in iOS 15.8.5 and iPadOS…
- CVE-2025-24201 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): An out-of-bounds write issue was addressed with improved checks to prevent unauthorized actions. This issue is fixed in…
- CVE-2024-42479 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): llama.cpp provides LLM inference in C/C++. The unsafe `data` pointer member in the `rpc_tensor` structure can cause…
- CVE-2024-39791 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Stack-based buffer overflow vulnerabilities affecting Vonets industrial wifi bridge relays and wifi bridge…