8.8
HIGH CVSS 3.1
CVE-2026-66040
FFmpeg Heap Out-of-Bounds Write via PNG/APNG eXIf Encoder
Description

FFmpeg through 8.1.2, fixed in commit b506faf, contains a heap out-of-bounds write vulnerability in the native PNG and APNG encoders that allows remote attackers to corrupt heap memory by supplying a crafted PNG image with a malicious eXIf chunk. Attackers can craft an eXIf chunk where multiple IFD entries reference the same large value payload, causing canonical serialization to expand the output far beyond the undersized allocation estimated by add_exif_profile_size(), resulting in png_write_chunk() writing tens of thousands of bytes past the buffer boundary, leading to deterministic heap corruption, process crash, and potentially arbitrary code execution.

INFO

Published Date :

July 24, 2026, 8:18 p.m.

Last Modified :

July 24, 2026, 8:18 p.m.

Remotely Exploit :

Yes !
Affected Products

The following products are affected by CVE-2026-66040 vulnerability. Even if cvefeed.io is aware of the exact versions of the products that are affected, the information is not represented in the table below.

No affected product recoded yet

CVSS Scores
The Common Vulnerability Scoring System is a standardized framework for assessing the severity of vulnerabilities in software and systems. We collect and displays CVSS scores from various sources for each CVE.
Score Version Severity Vector Exploitability Score Impact Score Source
CVSS 3.1 HIGH 83251b91-4cc7-4094-a5c7-464a1b83ea10
CVSS 3.1 HIGH [email protected]
CVSS 3.1 HIGH MITRE-CVE
CVSS 4.0 HIGH 83251b91-4cc7-4094-a5c7-464a1b83ea10
CVSS 4.0 HIGH [email protected]
Solution
Update FFmpeg to a version that includes commit b506faf to fix heap out-of-bounds write.
  • Update FFmpeg to the patched version.
  • Apply commit b506faf to FFmpeg.
  • Avoid processing crafted PNG files.
  • Validate PNG chunk sizes carefully.
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-2026-66040.

URL Resource
https://code.ffmpeg.org/FFmpeg/FFmpeg/commit/b506fafec9a19fcbc2be5271875fd4a63d6615bc
https://code.ffmpeg.org/FFmpeg/FFmpeg/pulls/23786
https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/ffmpeg-heap-out-of-bounds-write-via-png-apng-exif-encoder
CWE - Common Weakness Enumeration

While CVE identifies specific instances of vulnerabilities, CWE categorizes the common flaws or weaknesses that can lead to vulnerabilities. CVE-2026-66040 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-2026-66040 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-2026-66040 vulnerability anywhere in the article.

The following table lists the changes that have been made to the CVE-2026-66040 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 [email protected]

    Jul. 24, 2026

    Action Type Old Value New Value
    Added Affected [{'repo': 'https://code.ffmpeg.org/FFmpeg/FFmpeg', 'vendor': 'FFmpeg', 'product': 'FFmpeg', 'versions': [{'status': 'affected', 'version': '0', 'versionType': 'semver', 'lessThanOrEqual': '8.1.2'}, {'status': 'unaffected', 'version': 'b506fafec9a19fcbc2be5271875fd4a63d6615bc', 'versionType': 'git'}], 'defaultStatus': 'affected'}]
    Added Description FFmpeg through 8.1.2, fixed in commit b506faf, contains a heap out-of-bounds write vulnerability in the native PNG and APNG encoders that allows remote attackers to corrupt heap memory by supplying a crafted PNG image with a malicious eXIf chunk. Attackers can craft an eXIf chunk where multiple IFD entries reference the same large value payload, causing canonical serialization to expand the output far beyond the undersized allocation estimated by add_exif_profile_size(), resulting in png_write_chunk() writing tens of thousands of bytes past the buffer boundary, leading to deterministic heap corruption, process crash, and potentially arbitrary code execution.
    Added CVSS V4.0 AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:P/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/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:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
    Added CWE CWE-122
    Added Reference https://code.ffmpeg.org/FFmpeg/FFmpeg/commit/b506fafec9a19fcbc2be5271875fd4a63d6615bc
    Added Reference https://code.ffmpeg.org/FFmpeg/FFmpeg/pulls/23786
    Added Reference https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/ffmpeg-heap-out-of-bounds-write-via-png-apng-exif-encoder
EPSS is a daily estimate of the probability of exploitation activity being observed over the next 30 days. Following chart shows the EPSS score history of the vulnerability.