CVE-2026-33021CWE-416

libsixel: Use-after-free in sixel_encoder_encode_bytes()

High · published April 14, 2026

CVSS v3.1
7.3
EPSS
0%
Percentile
10.8
In the wild
Unconfirmed
What it is

libsixel is a SIXEL encoder/decoder implementation derived from kmiya's sixel. Versions 1.8.7 and prior contain a use-after-free vulnerability in sixel_encoder_encode_bytes() because sixel_frame_init() stores the caller-owned pixel buffer pointer directly in frame->pixels without making a defensive copy. When a resize operation is triggered, sixel_frame_convert_to_rgb888() unconditionally frees this caller-owned buffer and replaces it with a new internal allocation, leaving the caller with a dangling pointer. Any subsequent access to the original buffer by the caller constitutes a use-after-free, confirmed by AddressSanitizer. An attacker who controls incoming frames can trigger this bug repeatedly and predictably, resulting in a reliable crash with potential for code execution. This issue has been fixed in version 1.8.7-r1.

The record
Technical detail
CVSS v3.1
7.3 · HIGH
Vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:H
CVSS v4.0
Not supplied
EPSS
0.00211 · 10.8th percentile
Weakness
CWE-416 · Use After Free
Published
2026-04-14T21:57Z
EPSS history
Timeline
  • 14 APR 21:57Z
    libsixel: Use-after-free in sixel_encoder_encode_bytes()
    cvelistv5