CVE-2026-49219: ImageMagick Policy Bypass via Symlink Path Traversal

Technical summary

CVE-2026-49219 involves a filename parsing defect in ImageMagick versions prior to 6.9.13-48 (legacy branch) and 7.1.2-24 (current branch). The vulnerability allows policy bypass through symlink abuse. ImageMagick's security policies can restrict access to certain files or operations; however, when processing a specially crafted filename containing a symlink, the parser fails to properly validate the path, allowing read access to policy-protected files. The issue affects the confidentiality of restricted data but does not enable modification or denial of service. The vulnerability maps to CWE-22 (Path Traversal), CWE-200 (Information Exposure), CWE-78 (OS Command Injection factors), and CWE-863 (Incorrect Authorization), indicating multiple dimensions of the control failure.

Business impact

Organizations relying on ImageMagick's security policies to prevent unauthorized file access—such as multi-tenant SaaS platforms, content management systems, or image processing pipelines with segregated data—face a risk of information disclosure. A local user account could read files outside their intended scope, potentially accessing configuration files, API keys, database credentials, or other sensitive data stored on the same system. In environments where ImageMagick runs as a service or daemon, this could allow privilege escalation to escalate from a standard user to accessing service-level secrets.

Affected systems

ImageMagick versions 6.9.13-47 and earlier in the 6.9 line, and versions 7.1.2-23 and earlier in the 7.1+ line are affected. The vulnerability requires local filesystem access, so it primarily impacts systems where untrusted users have login accounts or shell access, or where ImageMagick processes untrusted input on behalf of local users. Both the legacy 6.9 series and the modern 7.1+ series require patching; upgrading only one branch while running the other leaves exposure.

Exploitability

Exploitation requires local access (AV:L) and user-level privileges (PR:L); it is not remotely exploitable. However, complexity is low (AC:L), meaning the attack is straightforward once access is obtained—no special conditions or race conditions are needed. An attacker with a standard user account can craft a filename containing a symlink and pass it to ImageMagick to read restricted files. This makes the vulnerability practical for privilege escalation or lateral movement within a compromised system. No user interaction is required. The vulnerability is not currently tracked in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, suggesting active in-the-wild exploitation has not been widespread at the time of publication.

Remediation

Upgrade ImageMagick to version 6.9.13-48 or later in the legacy branch, or to version 7.1.2-24 or later in the current branch. Organizations should prioritize environments where untrusted users have local access or where ImageMagick processes user-supplied filenames. After patching, verify that security policies are still in effect and test any custom policy configurations to ensure they function as expected post-update.

Patch guidance

For legacy deployments using ImageMagick 6.9.x, upgrade to 6.9.13-48 or later. For current deployments using ImageMagick 7.1.x, upgrade to 7.1.2-24 or later. Verify the patch version in your package repository or via the vendor advisory before deploying. Test the patched version in a non-production environment to confirm compatibility with your image processing workflows. If you have compiled ImageMagick from source, rebuild using the patched source code release. After upgrade, review your security policy configuration files to ensure they are still correctly loaded and enforced.

Detection guidance

Monitor for suspicious filename patterns containing symbolic links or path traversal sequences (e.g., ../, ..\, or references to /etc, /proc, /home outside the expected scope) passed to ImageMagick processes. Log file access attempts from ImageMagick that deviate from normal policy-compliant reads. In a SIEM, correlate ImageMagick process execution with reads of sensitive files (configuration, credential files). Inspect process arguments and environment variables to detect potential policy bypass attempts. Establish baselines of normal ImageMagick filename input and alert on anomalies. Review audit logs on systems running ImageMagick as a service to detect unauthorized file reads by the service principal.

Why prioritize this

Although the CVSS score is moderate (5.5), the vulnerability enables information disclosure of sensitive data by local users and is applicable to multi-tenant or regulated environments. Organizations that enforce strict access controls via ImageMagick policies should prioritize patching to close the bypass. The low barrier to exploitation (AC:L, no user interaction) and the broad deployment of ImageMagick in web applications and content platforms elevate the practical risk. Patch relatively soon in your cycle, but remote vulnerabilities and critical availability issues should take higher priority in your queue.

Risk score, explained

The CVSS 3.1 score of 5.5 (MEDIUM) reflects a local-only attack vector (AV:L), user-level privileges (PR:L), and an impact limited to confidentiality (C:H, I:N, A:N). The vulnerability does not break integrity or availability, and it requires pre-existing local access, preventing remote exploitation. However, the high confidentiality impact and straightforward exploitation path justify prioritization in defense-in-depth strategies, especially in multi-user or containerized environments where local account compromise is plausible.

Frequently asked questions