Description
libheif 1.18.0 before 1.23.3 contains a heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability in unc_decoder_mixed_interleave::processTile() that allows attackers to write out of bounds by supplying chroma components with unequal bit depths. Attackers can craft a HEIF file declaring, for example, 16-bit Cb and 8-bit Cr to trigger file-controlled heap writes past the Cr plane, potentially achieving code execution in image-processing pipelines.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|---|
| strukturag | libheif | 1.18.0 – < 1.23.3 | 1.23.3 |
Fixed in Linux distributions
Distributions backport fixes, so the version that fixes this vulnerability differs per release — upgrade to at least the version shown. From the distributions' security trackers and advisories.
Debian
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian 14 | libheif | 1.23.3-1 | — |
| Debian 13 | libheif | 1.23.4-1~deb13u1 | — |
| Debian 12 | libheif | No fix yet | — |
Ubuntu
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu 26.04 LTS | libheif | 1.21.2-3ubuntu0.7 | USN-9012-1 |
Amazon Linux
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon Linux 2023 | libheif +3 | 1.23.7-1.amzn2023 | ALAS2023-2026-3437 |
Advisories 2
- ALAS2023-2026-3437 Important: libheif security update (Amazon Linux 2023) Amazon Linux Security Center (ALAS) · Nov 12, 2026
- USN-9012-1 libheif vulnerability Ubuntu Security Notices (USN) · Nov 11, 2026
References
- GitHub Security Advisory (GHSA-x8r2-mggj-j6wr) vendor-advisory
- https://github.com/strukturag/libheif/commit/9d3cd91d7b1c8c68deef6d06057ab956bcb0dfb9 patch
- libheif v1.23.3 Release Notes release-notes
- https://github.com/strukturag/libheif/blob/v1.23.2/libheif/codecs/uncompressed/unc_decoder_mixed_interleave.cc#L95 technical-description
- VulnCheck Advisory: libheif 1.18.0 before 1.23.3 Heap Buffer Overflow via unci Mixed-Interleave Decoder third-party-advisory