Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2026-21490 affects iccDEV before 2.3.1.2, a library and toolset for processing ICC color profiles. A crafted or malformed profile can trigger a heap buffer overflow during validation. Business risk is mainly service disruption, with limited confidentiality impact. User interaction is required, so prioritize systems that ingest untrusted image, print, design, or color-profile files.
Executive priority
Treat as a moderate-priority patching issue. Prioritize internet-facing, customer-facing, or automated file-ingestion environments that process ICC profiles. The main business concern is disruption from crashes or memory corruption, not confirmed widespread exploitation. Patch during the next planned security update cycle, sooner for high-volume untrusted file processing.
Technical view
The flaw is a heap buffer overflow in CIccTagLut16::Validate() in iccDEV versions earlier than 2.3.1.2. The CVSS 3.1 score is 6.1 with local attack vector, low complexity, no privileges, and required user interaction. Listed weaknesses include CWE-122, CWE-125, and CWE-193. Version 2.3.1.2 contains the patch; no workarounds are reported.
Likely exposure
Exposure is most likely where iccDEV is directly embedded or used in tools that parse ICC color profiles, especially from external users, partners, or automated file-processing workflows. Systems not processing ICC profiles are unlikely to be exposed. Dependency inventory is needed because iccDEV may be included in internal or third-party applications.
Exploitation context
The provided sources do not report active exploitation, and the CVE is not marked as CISA KEV. Exploitation requires user interaction and processing of a malicious ICC profile. Impact can include high availability loss and limited confidentiality impact, according to the published CVSS vector.
Researcher notes
Evidence is limited to the CVE record, GitHub advisory, issue, and patch commits. The advisory states the vulnerable function and fixed version, but does not name a workaround. Avoid assuming remote exposure unless an application accepts and processes attacker-supplied ICC profiles through iccDEV.
Mitigation direction
- Upgrade iccDEV to version 2.3.1.2 or later.
- Identify applications and services that process ICC color profiles with iccDEV.
- Restrict processing of untrusted ICC profiles until patched.
- Check vendor or project guidance for downstream package updates.
- No workaround is listed in the provided advisory.
Validation and detection
- Confirm deployed iccDEV versions are 2.3.1.2 or later.
- Review build manifests and SBOMs for embedded iccDEV copies.
- Verify file-processing workflows that accept ICC profiles from untrusted sources.
- Confirm patched commits or release packages are present in rebuilt applications.
- Monitor vendor advisories for downstream products using iccDEV.
Public sources used
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
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-122: 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 lookupCWE-125: 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 lookupCWE-193: 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 lookupCVE-2026-21490 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- Medium
- CVSS
- 6.1 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:H
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.
CVSS vector scores
1 official scoreWe 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.
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:H1.84.2Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
6.1MediumVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:H
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://github.com/InternationalColorConsortium/iccDEV/security/advisories/GHSA-9q9c-699q-xr2qCVE reference · x_refsource_CONFIRM
- https://github.com/InternationalColorConsortium/iccDEV/issues/397CVE reference · x_refsource_MISC
- https://github.com/InternationalColorConsortium/iccDEV/commit/7c2cb719a9de1c00844e457e070d657314383ee3CVE reference · x_refsource_MISC
- https://github.com/InternationalColorConsortium/iccDEV/commit/e91fe722ac54ce497d410153e7405090e0565d7bCVE reference · x_refsource_MISC
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.
Heap-based Buffer Overflow
Heap-based Buffer Overflow represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.
Out-of-bounds Read
Out-of-bounds Read represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.
Off-by-one Error
Off-by-one Error represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.