CVE-2026-59089: GIMP PlayStation TIM Integer Overflow Denial of Service

Technical summary

The PlayStation TIM image loader plug-in in GIMP performs integer overflow arithmetic when calculating CLUT (Color Look-Up Table) buffer size. Specifically, multiplying two 16-bit unsigned integers (num_colors and num_cluts) without bounds checking produces a value that exceeds the maximum representable integer, wrapping around to an incorrect, often much smaller allocation. Subsequent operations on the undersized buffer lead to undefined behavior, typically resulting in a segmentation fault or abort that terminates the plug-in process. This is classified as CWE-190 (Integer Overflow or Wraparound).

Business impact

The availability impact is confined to individual GIMP users or workstations running vulnerable versions. In environments where GIMP is used for batch image processing, automated workflows, or as a service backend, a denial-of-service crash could interrupt production tasks and require manual intervention or service restarts. Collaborative design teams may experience disruptions if a malicious TIM file is shared. However, no data breach, privilege escalation, or system-wide compromise is possible from this vulnerability.

Affected systems

GIMP across its supported versions is affected, as are associated Red Hat Enterprise Linux distributions that package GIMP. The vulnerability manifests only when a user (or automated process) opens a specially crafted PlayStation TIM image file. Systems that do not use GIMP or do not process TIM-format images are unaffected. Desktop users are most at risk; server environments using GIMP are less common but potentially vulnerable if TIM processing is part of the workflow.

Exploitability

This vulnerability requires user interaction: an attacker must trick or socially engineer a user into opening a malicious TIM image file in GIMP. No network exploitation is possible, and local privilege escalation is not supported by the flaw itself. The attack surface is therefore limited to scenarios where untrusted image files are processed. The CVSS vector (AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R) reflects this: local attack vector, low complexity, no privilege needed, but user interaction required. The flaw is not trivial to exploit but is straightforward once a target is identified and a crafted file is delivered.

Remediation

Users and administrators should apply security updates when GIMP releases a patched version that corrects the integer overflow in the PlayStation TIM loader. Verify against the official GIMP project advisory and Red Hat Enterprise Linux security bulletins for specific version numbers and availability. As an interim measure, users can mitigate risk by avoiding the opening of TIM image files from untrusted sources and disabling or removing the TIM loader plug-in if not required for regular workflows.

Patch guidance

Check the GIMP project's official website and Red Hat security advisories for the next available maintenance release that includes a fix for CVE-2026-59089. Apply patches promptly to affected systems. For Red Hat Enterprise Linux users, verify whether an errata has been published and schedule updates according to your change management and availability windows. Test any patch in a development environment first to confirm compatibility with existing workflows and other plug-ins.

Detection guidance

Monitor for crashes or unexpected terminations of GIMP processes, particularly if they occur after opening image files from unknown sources. Intrusion detection systems focused on file integrity can flag attempts to introduce suspicious TIM files into trusted locations. Logging of GIMP plug-in errors or segmentation faults may reveal exploitation attempts. However, because this is a client-side denial of service and not a network-based attack, traditional perimeter detection is limited; endpoint monitoring and user reports are more effective.

Why prioritize this

This vulnerability receives a MEDIUM severity rating due to its denial-of-service impact (CWE-190 in image parsing context) and requirement for user interaction. While the practical risk is lower than a remote code execution flaw, it should still be addressed promptly in environments where GIMP is integral to workflows or where image processing is automated. Prioritize patching in organizations that heavily rely on GIMP or that regularly process images from external or untrusted sources. For general desktop users and most enterprise environments where GIMP is optional, patch within standard quarterly or bi-monthly cycles.

Risk score, explained

The CVSS 3.1 score of 5.5 (MEDIUM) reflects: local-only attack vector (typical for file-based exploits), low attack complexity (the integer overflow is straightforward to trigger with a crafted file), no privilege requirement, but mandatory user interaction (user must open the file). The impact assessment grants no confidentiality or integrity damage but assigns high availability impact (application crash). This score appropriately captures that the threat is real and should be remediated, but poses lower risk than network-exploitable or privilege-escalation flaws.

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