Vulnerability Database

346,508

Total vulnerabilities in the database

CVE-2026-33416 — libpng / libpng

Use After Free

LIBPNG is a reference library for use in applications that read, create, and manipulate PNG (Portable Network Graphics) raster image files. In versions 1.2.1 through 1.6.55, png_set_tRNS and png_set_PLTE each alias a heap-allocated buffer between png_struct and png_info, sharing a single allocation across two structs with independent lifetimes. The trans_alpha aliasing has been present since at least libpng 1.0, and the palette aliasing since at least 1.2.1. Both affect all prior release lines png_set_tRNS sets png_ptr->trans_alpha = info_ptr->trans_alpha (256-byte buffer) and png_set_PLTE sets info_ptr->palette = png_ptr->palette (768-byte buffer). In both cases, calling png_free_data (with PNG_FREE_TRNS or PNG_FREE_PLTE) frees the buffer through info_ptr while the corresponding png_ptr pointer remains dangling. Subsequent row-transform functions dereference and, in some code paths, write to the freed memory. A second call to png_set_tRNS or png_set_PLTE has the same effect, because both functions call png_free_data internally before reallocating the info_ptr buffer. Version 1.6.56 fixes the issue.

  • Published: Mar 26, 2026
  • Updated: Apr 3, 2026
  • CVE: CVE-2026-33416
  • Severity: High
  • Exploit:

CVSS v3:

  • Severity: High
  • Score: 7.5
  • AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CWEs:

Frequently Asked Questions

A security vulnerability is a weakness in software, hardware, or configuration that can be exploited to compromise confidentiality, integrity, or availability. Many vulnerabilities are tracked as CVEs (Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures), which provide a standardized identifier so teams can coordinate patching, mitigation, and risk assessment across tools and vendors.

CVSS (Common Vulnerability Scoring System) estimates technical severity, but it doesn't automatically equal business risk. Prioritize using context like internet exposure, affected asset criticality, known exploitation (proof-of-concept or in-the-wild), and whether compensating controls exist. A "Medium" CVSS on an exposed, production system can be more urgent than a "Critical" on an isolated, non-production host.

A vulnerability is the underlying weakness. An exploit is the method or code used to take advantage of it. A zero-day is a vulnerability that is unknown to the vendor or has no publicly available fix when attackers begin using it. In practice, risk increases sharply when exploitation becomes reliable or widespread.

Recurring findings usually come from incomplete Asset Discovery, inconsistent patch management, inherited images, and configuration drift. In modern environments, you also need to watch the software supply chain: dependencies, containers, build pipelines, and third-party services can reintroduce the same weakness even after you patch a single host. Unknown or unmanaged assets (often called Shadow IT) are a common reason the same issues resurface.

Use a simple, repeatable triage model: focus first on externally exposed assets, high-value systems (identity, VPN, email, production), vulnerabilities with known exploits, and issues that enable remote code execution or privilege escalation. Then enforce patch SLAs and track progress using consistent metrics so remediation is steady, not reactive.

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