# CVE-2026-5444: Heap Buffer Overflow in PAM Image Buffer Allocation

> An attacker can trigger a heap buffer overflow in Orthanc by sending a crafted DICOM file, potentially leading to code execution or service disruption.

- **Severity:** High 7.1 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 9 Apr 2026
- **Updated:** 14 Apr 2026
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2026-5444, GHSA-fpm7-vpjm-5gg2, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-5444

## What is CVE-2026-5444?

CVE-2026-5444 is a high-severity vulnerability in Orthanc DICOM Server, published on 9 Apr 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

A heap buffer overflow vulnerability exists in the PAM image parsing logic. When Orthanc processes a crafted PAM image embedded in a DICOM file, image dimensions are multiplied using 32-bit unsigned arithmetic. Specially chosen values can cause an integer overflow during buffer size calculation, resulting in the allocation of a small buffer followed by a much larger write operation during pixel processing.

Weakness: CWE-787 (Out-of-bounds Write)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-5444?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Orthanc-Server Orthanc.

## How do I fix CVE-2026-5444?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2026-5444 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-5444 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Orthanc DICOM Server

- [CVE-2026-5442](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-5442/): Heap Buffer Overflow in DICOM Image Decoder via VR UL Dimensions (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2026-5443](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-5443/): Heap Buffer Overflow in DICOM Image Decoder (Palette Color Decode) (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2025-0896](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-0896/): Orthanc Server Missing Authentication for Critical Function (critical 9.2)
- [CVE-2026-5445](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-5445/): Out-of-Bounds Read in DicomImageDecoder (DecodeLookupTable) (critical 9.1)
- [CVE-2023-33466](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-33466/): Path traversal in n/a (high 8.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-5444 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-5444 is a high-severity vulnerability in Orthanc DICOM Server, published on 9 Apr 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-5444 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Orthanc DICOM Server. 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-2026-5444/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-5444/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-5444
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-5444
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-5444

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-5444/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.