ImageMagick memory leak in ReadSTEGANOImage prior to 7.1.2-15 / 6.9.13-40
CVE-2026-25796 Published on February 24, 2026
ImageMagick has memory leak of watermark Image object in ReadSTEGANOImage on multiple error/early-return paths
ImageMagick is free and open-source software used for editing and manipulating digital images. Prior to versions 7.1.2-15 and 6.9.13-40, in `ReadSTEGANOImage()` (`coders/stegano.c`), the `watermark` Image object is not freed on three early-return paths, resulting in a definite memory leak (~13.5KB+ per invocation) that can be exploited for denial of service. Versions 7.1.2-15 and 6.9.13-40 contain a patch.
Vulnerability Analysis
CVE-2026-25796 is exploitable with network access, and does not require authorization privileges or user interaction. This vulnerability is considered to have a low attack complexity. The potential impact of an exploit of this vulnerability is considered to have no impact on confidentiality and integrity, and a small impact on availability.
Weakness Type
What is a Memory Leak Vulnerability?
The software does not sufficiently track and release allocated memory after it has been used, which slowly consumes remaining memory. This is often triggered by improper handling of malformed data or unexpectedly interrupted sessions. In some languages, developers are responsible for tracking memory allocation and releasing the memory. If there are no more pointers or references to the memory, then it can no longer be tracked and identified for release.
CVE-2026-25796 has been classified to as a Memory Leak vulnerability or weakness.
Products Associated with CVE-2026-25796
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Affected Versions
ImageMagick:- Version >= 7.0.0, < 7.1.2-15 is affected.
- Version < 6.9.13-40 is affected.
Vulnerable Packages
The following package name and versions may be associated with CVE-2026-25796
| Package Manager | Vulnerable Package | Versions | Fixed In |
|---|---|---|---|
| nuget | Magick.NET-Q8-x86 | < 14.10.3 | 14.10.3 |
| nuget | Magick.NET-Q8-x64 | < 14.10.3 | 14.10.3 |
| nuget | Magick.NET-Q8-arm64 | < 14.10.3 | 14.10.3 |
| nuget | Magick.NET-Q8-OpenMP-arm64 | < 14.10.3 | 14.10.3 |
| nuget | Magick.NET-Q8-AnyCPU | < 14.10.3 | 14.10.3 |
| nuget | Magick.NET-Q16-x86 | < 14.10.3 | 14.10.3 |
| nuget | Magick.NET-Q16-x64 | < 14.10.3 | 14.10.3 |
| nuget | Magick.NET-Q16-arm64 | < 14.10.3 | 14.10.3 |
| nuget | Magick.NET-Q16-OpenMP-x86 | < 14.10.3 | 14.10.3 |
| nuget | Magick.NET-Q16-OpenMP-x64 | < 14.10.3 | 14.10.3 |
| nuget | Magick.NET-Q16-OpenMP-arm64 | < 14.10.3 | 14.10.3 |
| nuget | Magick.NET-Q16-HDRI-x86 | < 14.10.3 | 14.10.3 |
| nuget | Magick.NET-Q16-HDRI-x64 | < 14.10.3 | 14.10.3 |
| nuget | Magick.NET-Q16-HDRI-arm64 | < 14.10.3 | 14.10.3 |
| nuget | Magick.NET-Q16-HDRI-OpenMP-x64 | < 14.10.3 | 14.10.3 |
| nuget | Magick.NET-Q16-HDRI-OpenMP-arm64 | < 14.10.3 | 14.10.3 |
| nuget | Magick.NET-Q16-HDRI-AnyCPU | < 14.10.3 | 14.10.3 |
| nuget | Magick.NET-Q16-AnyCPU | < 14.10.3 | 14.10.3 |
Exploit Probability
EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) scores estimate the probability that a vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within the next 30 days. The percentile shows you how this score compares to all other vulnerabilities.