# CVE-2026-5185: Nothings stb_image Multi-frame GIF File stb_image.h stbi__gif_load_next heap-based overflow

> A heap-based buffer overflow in the stb_image library allows local attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause denial of service via malicious GIF files.

- **Severity:** Medium 4.8 (`CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:L/VI:L/VA:L/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:P`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 31 Mar 2026
- **Updated:** 31 Mar 2026
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2026-5185, GHSA-ccf6-mw22-wphc, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-5185

## What is CVE-2026-5185?

CVE-2026-5185 is a medium-severity memory corruption vulnerability in Nothings stb_image, published on 31 Mar 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

A security flaw has been discovered in Nothings stb_image up to 2.30. This affects the function stbi__gif_load_next of the file stb_image.h of the component Multi-frame GIF File Handler. The manipulation results in heap-based buffer overflow. The attack requires a local approach. The exploit has been released to the public and may be used for attacks. The vendor was contacted early about this disclosure but did not respond in any way.

Weakness: CWE-122 (Heap-based Buffer Overflow), CWE-119 (Improper Restriction of Operations within the Bounds of a Memory Buffer)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-5185?


## How do I fix CVE-2026-5185?

No fix has been published for CVE-2026-5185 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2026-5185 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-5185 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-5185 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-5185 is a medium-severity memory corruption vulnerability in Nothings stb_image, published on 31 Mar 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-5185 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Nothings stb_image. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-5185/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-5185/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-5185
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-5185
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-5185

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-5185/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.