CVE-2026-33021 PUBLISHED

libsixel: Use-after-free in sixel_encoder_encode_bytes()

Assigner: GitHub_M
Reserved: 17.03.2026 Published: 14.04.2026 Updated: 14.04.2026

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.

Metrics

CVSS Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:H
CVSS Score: 7.3

Product Status

Vendor saitoha
Product libsixel
Versions
  • Version < 1.8.7-r1 is affected

References

Problem Types

  • CWE-416: Use After Free CWE