Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
This ImageMagick flaw can let a user who can run image processing bypass configured file-write restrictions. The issue involves APNG output handling and external delegates. It is not described as remote code execution, and the CVSS rating is medium, but it matters where ImageMagick processes untrusted files in shared or automated environments.
Executive priority
Treat as a near-term maintenance fix for environments processing untrusted images. Prioritize shared platforms and automated pipelines where ImageMagick policy restrictions are part of security boundaries. It is not currently supported by sources as an emergency active-exploitation issue.
Technical view
CVE-2026-61858 is a policy bypass in ImageMagick before 7.1.2-26, tied to missing validation in the APNG encoder and external delegates. A low-privileged local attacker can write files to paths that policy rules were intended to block. CVSS v4.0 is 4.8 with local attack vector, low complexity, low privileges, and low integrity impact.
Likely exposure
Systems using ImageMagick for APNG encoding or workflows invoking external delegates are most relevant. Exposure is higher in multi-user servers, CI pipelines, upload-processing services, or sandboxed conversion jobs where policy.xml restrictions are relied on for containment.
Exploitation context
The provided sources do not indicate known active exploitation, and the CVE is not marked KEV. The attack requires local access or an application context that lets an attacker influence ImageMagick processing. Impact is limited to bypassing intended file-write restrictions, based on the cited description.
Researcher notes
The source bundle identifies CWE-59 and a policy bypass through APNG encoding plus external delegates. Public details provided here are limited; avoid assuming broader file overwrite, privilege escalation, or RCE without vendor evidence. Confirm exact affected 6.x and 7.x version ranges from the ImageMagick advisory.
Mitigation direction
- Upgrade ImageMagick to 7.1.2-26 or later where applicable.
- For ImageMagick 6.x, verify vendor guidance around 6.9.13-51 or later.
- Review APNG and delegate use in untrusted processing workflows.
- Do not rely only on ImageMagick policy controls for tenant isolation.
- Monitor vendor advisories for corrected version and configuration details.
Validation and detection
- Inventory installed ImageMagick versions across servers, containers, and build images.
- Identify services that process APNG or user-supplied images.
- Check whether workflows invoke external delegates during conversion.
- Review policy.xml assumptions for blocked write paths.
- Confirm upgraded packages are present in runtime images, not only base hosts.
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-59: 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-2026-61858 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
- 4.8 (4.0)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:N/VI:L/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
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
2 official scoresWe 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:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:N/VI:L/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N——VulnCheckCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N1.81.4VulnCheckVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 4.0 score
4.8MediumVector: CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:N/VI:L/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
Base CVSS 3.1 score
3.3LowVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N
Vulnerability timeline
Timeline events are normalized from CVE metadata, CNA source timelines, ADP timelines, and KEV metadata when present.
- CVE reservedCVE Program
The CVE ID was reserved by the assigning CNA.
- CVE publishedCVE Program
The CVE record was published.
- CVE updatedCVE Program
The CVE record metadata indicates this as the latest update time.
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- GitHub Security Advisory (GHSA-v3j6-27vc-7pw2)CVE reference, VulnCheck · vendor-advisory
- VulnCheck Advisory: ImageMagick before 7.1.2-26 Policy Bypass via APNG encoderCVE reference, VulnCheck · third-party-advisory
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.
Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following')
Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following') represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.