CVE-2026-33636
Publication date 26 March 2026
Last updated 10 April 2026
Ubuntu priority
Description
LIBPNG is a reference library for use in applications that read, create, and manipulate PNG (Portable Network Graphics) raster image files. In versions 1.6.36 through 1.6.55, an out-of-bounds read and write exists in libpng's ARM/AArch64 Neon-optimized palette expansion path. When expanding 8-bit paletted rows to RGB or RGBA, the Neon loop processes a final partial chunk without verifying that enough input pixels remain. Because the implementation works backward from the end of the row, the final iteration dereferences pointers before the start of the row buffer (OOB read) and writes expanded pixel data to the same underflowed positions (OOB write). This is reachable via normal decoding of attacker-controlled PNG input if Neon is enabled. Version 1.6.56 fixes the issue.
Status
| Package | Ubuntu Release | Status |
|---|---|---|
| libpng | 25.10 questing | Not in release |
| 24.04 LTS noble | Not in release | |
| 22.04 LTS jammy | Not in release | |
| 16.04 LTS xenial |
Needs evaluation
|
|
| 14.04 LTS trusty |
Needs evaluation
|
|
| libpng1.6 | 25.10 questing |
Needs evaluation
|
| 24.04 LTS noble |
Needs evaluation
|
|
| 22.04 LTS jammy |
Needs evaluation
|
|
| 20.04 LTS focal |
Needs evaluation
|
|
| 18.04 LTS bionic |
Not affected
|
|
| 16.04 LTS xenial |
Not affected
|
|
| firefox | 25.10 questing |
Not affected
|
| 24.04 LTS noble |
Not affected
|
|
| 22.04 LTS jammy |
Not affected
|
|
| thunderbird | 25.10 questing |
Not affected
|
| 24.04 LTS noble |
Not affected
|
|
| 22.04 LTS jammy |
Not affected
|
|
| chromium-browser | 25.10 questing |
Not affected
|
| 24.04 LTS noble |
Not affected
|
|
| 22.04 LTS jammy |
Not affected
|
Notes
mdeslaur
introduced in 1.6.36 by the following commit: https://github.com/pnggroup/libpng/commit/7734cda20cf1236aef60f3bbd2267c97bbb40869
Severity score breakdown
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Base score |
7.6 · High
|
| Attack vector | Network |
| Attack complexity | Low |
| Privileges required | None |
| User interaction | Required |
| Scope | Unchanged |
| Confidentiality | Low |
| Integrity impact | Low |
| Availability impact | High |
| Vector | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:H |