LiveActive security incident?Get immediate response
CVE Record

CVE-2025-48798: Gimp: multiple use after free in xcf parser

A flaw was found in GIMP when processing XCF image files. If a user opens one of these image files that has been specially crafted by an attacker, GIMP can be tricked into making serious memory errors, potentially leading to crashes and causing use-after-free issues.

HighCVSS 7.3Not KEV-listedUpdated
Discuss exposureBack to CVEs
Glexia's TakeAutomated analysishigh

Security readout for executives and security teams

Plain-English summary

This vulnerability is in GIMP’s handling of XCF image files. A maliciously crafted image can trigger use-after-free memory errors when opened, potentially causing crashes or worse impacts. The practical risk is highest on desktops or image-processing systems where users may open untrusted XCF files.

Executive priority

Prioritize patching where GIMP is installed on user-facing workstations or file-processing systems. This is not described as remotely exploitable without user interaction, but the potential confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact is high if a malicious file is opened.

Technical view

CVE-2025-48798 is a CWE-416 use-after-free issue in GIMP’s XCF parser. The supplied CVSS 3.1 score is 7.3, with local attack vector, low complexity, low privileges, and required user interaction. Red Hat lists affected GIMP packages across RHEL 7 ELS, RHEL 8 streams, and RHEL 9 variants.

Likely exposure

Exposure is likely limited to systems with GIMP installed and workflows that open XCF files, especially user workstations or content-processing hosts. The source bundle identifies multiple affected Red Hat Enterprise Linux channels. RHEL 6 status is listed as unknown.

Exploitation context

The bundle does not show CISA KEV listing or cited evidence of active exploitation. Exploitation requires a user or workflow to open a specially crafted XCF file in vulnerable GIMP. Treat untrusted design files as risky until updates are applied.

Researcher notes

Key constraints are AV:L and UI:R, so exposure depends on local file opening paths. The public bundle names the vulnerable parser area but does not provide detailed root-cause, exploitability, or upstream fix mechanics. Do not infer active exploitation from severity alone.

Mitigation direction

  • Apply the relevant Red Hat security advisory updates for installed GIMP packages.
  • Check vendor guidance for non-Red Hat GIMP builds before assuming patch status.
  • Avoid opening untrusted XCF files on vulnerable systems until patched.
  • Remove GIMP from systems where it is not operationally required.
  • Prioritize controls for workstations handling external image files.

Validation and detection

  • Inventory systems for installed GIMP packages and RHEL channel membership.
  • Verify whether affected Red Hat advisory updates have been applied.
  • Confirm RHEL 6 exposure separately because status is listed as unknown.
  • Review desktop and file-ingestion workflows for untrusted XCF file handling.
  • Monitor Red Hat CVE and Bugzilla references for status changes.
Prepared
Confidence
medium
Sources
12

Public sources used

Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.

Potential ATT&CK relevance

Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context

These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.

ATT&CK lookup starting points

Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.

cwe · low confidence lookup

CWE-416: Exact CWE lookup

Use the exact CWE identifier as the starting point before reviewing related ATT&CK behavior. Open the exact CWE lookup page first, then review the ATT&CK searches from that MITRE weakness context. This is a Glexia lookup hint, not an official ATT&CK mapping.

Open ATT&CK lookup
cve · low confidence lookup

CVE-2025-48798 mapping review

Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.

Open ATT&CK lookup
Vulnerability profileCVE Program record
Severity
High
CVSS
7.3 (3.1)
Known Exploited
No
Published

Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Official CVE source material

CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5

These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.

1CVSS vectors
5Timeline events
2ADP providers
15Source links

SSVC decision data

CISA-ADPCISA Coordinator
Timestamp
Version
2.0.3
Exploitation: noneAutomatable: noTechnical Impact: total

CVSS vector scores

1 official score

We collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.

ScoreVersionSeverityVectorExploitImpactSource
7.3CVSS 3.1HighCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H1.35.9redhat

Vulnerability scoring details

Base CVSS 3.1 score

7.3High
CVSS 3.1 vector shape for CVE-2025-48798Attack VectorAttack ComplexityPrivileges RequiredUser InteractionScopeConfidentiality ImpactIntegrity ImpactAvailability Impact

Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Attack Vector
NetworkAdjacentLocalPhysical
Attack Complexity
LowHigh
Privileges Required
NoneLowHigh
User Interaction
NoneRequired
Scope
ChangedUnchanged
Confidentiality Impact
HighLowNone
Integrity Impact
HighLowNone
Availability Impact
HighLowNone

Vulnerability timeline

Timeline events are normalized from CVE metadata, CNA source timelines, ADP timelines, and KEV metadata when present.

  1. Source timelineredhat

    Made public.

  2. Source timelineredhat

    Reported to Red Hat.

  3. CVE reservedCVE Program

    The CVE ID was reserved by the assigning CNA.

  4. CVE publishedCVE Program

    The CVE record was published.

  5. CVE updatedCVE Program

    The CVE record metadata indicates this as the latest update time.

ADP provider summaries

CISA-ADPCISA ADP Vulnrichment
other:ssvc
CVECVE Program Container

Source materials

Affected products

Products and packages named in the record

VendorProductVersion / packageStatus
Unknown vendorgimpgimp, 0unaffected
Red HatRed Hat Enterprise Linux 7 Extended Lifecycle Supportgimp, 2:2.8.22-1.el7_9.2affected
Red HatRed Hat Enterprise Linux 8gimp:2.8, 8100020250614205641.4c9c024faffected
Red HatRed Hat Enterprise Linux 8.2 Advanced Update Supportgimp:2.8, 8020020250618101631.c3a0935baffected
Red HatRed Hat Enterprise Linux 8.4 Advanced Mission Critical Update Supportgimp:2.8, 8040020250618100956.70584597affected
Red HatRed Hat Enterprise Linux 8.6 Advanced Mission Critical Update Supportgimp:2.8, 8060020250618100419.6af1eaf0affected
Red HatRed Hat Enterprise Linux 8.6 Telecommunications Update Servicegimp:2.8, 8060020250618100419.6af1eaf0affected
Red HatRed Hat Enterprise Linux 8.6 Update Services for SAP Solutionsgimp:2.8, 8060020250618100419.6af1eaf0affected
Red HatRed Hat Enterprise Linux 8.8 Telecommunications Update Servicegimp:2.8, 8080020250623120629.0621e4eeaffected
Red HatRed Hat Enterprise Linux 8.8 Update Services for SAP Solutionsgimp:2.8, 8080020250623120629.0621e4eeaffected
Red HatRed Hat Enterprise Linux 9gimp, 2:2.99.8-4.el9_6.2affected
Red HatRed Hat Enterprise Linux 9.0 Update Services for SAP Solutionsgimp, 2:2.99.8-3.el9_0.1affected
Red HatRed Hat Enterprise Linux 9.2 Update Services for SAP Solutionsgimp, 2:2.99.8-4.el9_2.1affected
Red HatRed Hat Enterprise Linux 9.4 Extended Update Supportgimp, 2:2.99.8-4.el9_4.1affected
Red HatRed Hat Enterprise Linux 6gimpunknown
Weakness

CWE details

CWE-416

CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.

CWE-416 · source CWE mapping

Use After Free

Use After Free represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.

Open CWE intelligenceSame-CWE CVEs