CVE-2026-44038
Global buffer out-of-bounds read in DCMTK JPEG Huffman decoding
Description
A global out-of-bounds read in the Huffman decoder of the bundled IJG JPEG libraries (dcmjpeg/libijg8, libijg12 and libijg16) of OFFIS DCMTK 3.7.0 allows an attacker to read memory beyond the extend_test[] and extend_offset[] tables, causing incorrectly decoded pixel data or a crash, via a DICOM file with a crafted JPEG stream whose Huffman table defines a difference category above 15. Huffman symbol values are not range-checked unless DCMTK is built with DCMTK_ENABLE_STRICT_HUFFMAN_TABLE_CHECK, which is disabled by default. dcmdjpeg and any application that decompresses JPEG DICOM images with DCMTK are affected. The issue is fixed in commit d6ae1bc8d5b9ae9c7300013c8c85cc2ea0fd8cf5.
INFO
Published Date :
Oct. 8, 2026, 1:17 p.m.
Last Modified :
Oct. 8, 2026, 1:17 p.m.
Remotely Exploit :
No
Source :
33c584b5-0579-4c06-b2a0-8d8329fcab9c
CVSS Scores
| Score | Version | Severity | Vector | Exploitability Score | Impact Score | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS 3.1 | MEDIUM | 33c584b5-0579-4c06-b2a0-8d8329fcab9c | ||||
| CVSS 3.1 | MEDIUM | MITRE-CVE | ||||
| CVSS 4.0 | MEDIUM | 33c584b5-0579-4c06-b2a0-8d8329fcab9c | ||||
| CVSS 4.0 | MEDIUM | 33c584b5-0579-4c06-b2a0-8d8329fcab9c |
Solution
- Update to the latest version of DCMTK.
- Apply the fix from commit d6ae1bc8d5b9ae9c7300013c8c85cc2ea0fd8cf5.
- Enable DCMTK_ENABLE_STRICT_HUFFMAN_TABLE_CHECK if possible.
- Validate decoded DICOM images.
References to Advisories, Solutions, and Tools
Here, you will find a curated list of external links that provide in-depth
information, practical solutions, and valuable tools related to
CVE-2026-44038.
| URL | Resource |
|---|---|
| https://github.com/DCMTK/dcmtk/commit/d6ae1bc8d5b9ae9c7300013c8c85cc2ea0fd8cf5 | |
| https://support.dcmtk.org/redmine/issues/1221 |
CWE - Common Weakness Enumeration
While CVE identifies
specific instances of vulnerabilities, CWE categorizes the common flaws or
weaknesses that can lead to vulnerabilities. CVE-2026-44038 is
associated with the following CWEs:
Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC)
Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification
(CAPEC)
stores attack patterns, which are descriptions of the common attributes and
approaches employed by adversaries to exploit the CVE-2026-44038
weaknesses.
We scan GitHub repositories to detect new proof-of-concept exploits. Following list is a collection of public exploits and proof-of-concepts, which have been published on GitHub (sorted by the most recently updated).
Results are limited to the first 15 repositories due to potential performance issues.
The following list is the news that have been mention
CVE-2026-44038 vulnerability anywhere in the article.
The following table lists the changes that have been made to the
CVE-2026-44038 vulnerability over time.
Vulnerability history details can be useful for understanding the evolution of a vulnerability, and for identifying the most recent changes that may impact the vulnerability's severity, exploitability, or other characteristics.
-
New CVE Received by 33c584b5-0579-4c06-b2a0-8d8329fcab9c
Oct. 08, 2026
Action Type Old Value New Value Added Description A global out-of-bounds read in the Huffman decoder of the bundled IJG JPEG libraries (dcmjpeg/libijg8, libijg12 and libijg16) of OFFIS DCMTK 3.7.0 allows an attacker to read memory beyond the extend_test[] and extend_offset[] tables, causing incorrectly decoded pixel data or a crash, via a DICOM file with a crafted JPEG stream whose Huffman table defines a difference category above 15. Huffman symbol values are not range-checked unless DCMTK is built with DCMTK_ENABLE_STRICT_HUFFMAN_TABLE_CHECK, which is disabled by default. dcmdjpeg and any application that decompresses JPEG DICOM images with DCMTK are affected. The issue is fixed in commit d6ae1bc8d5b9ae9c7300013c8c85cc2ea0fd8cf5. Added CVSS V4.0 AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:P/VC:L/VI:N/VA:L/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X Added CVSS V3.1 AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:L Added CWE CWE-125 Added Affected New affected value received. <a href="https://github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/blob/main/cves/2026/44xxx/CVE-2026-44038.json">CVE-2026-44038</a> Added Reference https://github.com/DCMTK/dcmtk/commit/d6ae1bc8d5b9ae9c7300013c8c85cc2ea0fd8cf5 Added Reference https://support.dcmtk.org/redmine/issues/1221