ImageMagick has a NULL pointer dereference in MSL parser via tag before image load

Exploitation

No confirmed exploitation recorded. Patch Next marks exploitation only from CISA KEV.

CVSS

6.5 · CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

EPSS

• CVE-2026-23952: 0.47% estimated exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 40.79 (FIRST EPSS, 2026-11-03). This is a model estimate, not proof of exploitation or customer exposure.

As published by the source; long descriptions are shortened.

Summary NULL pointer dereference in MSL (Magick Scripting Language) parser when processing <comment tag before any image is loaded. Version - ImageMagick 7.x (tested on current main branch) - Commit: HEAD Steps to Reproduce Method 1: Using ImageMagick directly Method 2: Using OSS-Fuzz reproduce Or run the fuzzer directly: Expected Behavior ImageMagick should handle the malformed MSL gracefully and return an error message. Actual Behavior Root Cause Analysis In coders/msl.c:7091, MSLEndElement() calls DeleteImageProperty() on mslinfo-image[n] when handling the </comment end tag without checking if the image is NULL: When <comment appears before any <read operation, mslinfo-image[n] is NULL, causing the assertion failure in DeleteImageProperty() at property.c:297. Impact - DoS: Crash via assertion failure (debug builds) or NULL pointer dereference (release builds) - Affected: Any application using ImageMagick to process user-supplied MSL files Fuzzer This issue was discovered using a…

Published by the source

21 Jan 2026, 01:06 UTC

Last modified by the source

21 Jan 2026, 01:06 UTC

Source last checked

26 Oct 2026, 17:04 UTC

1. Revision 1 · created · 26 Oct 2026

   Published from ghsa record GHSA-5vx3-wx4q-6cj8

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# Patch Next advisory brief: CVE-2026-23952

Advisory: ImageMagick has a NULL pointer dereference in MSL parser via tag before image load
IDs: CVE-2026-23952, GHSA-5vx3-wx4q-6cj8
Record: https://patchnext.com/advisories/cve-2026-23952 (revision 1, source checked 26 Oct 2026, 17:04 UTC)
Inventory: none attached. This brief comes from a public page and does not say whether any deployment is affected.
Severity: Medium (CVSS 6.5)
Exploitation: no confirmed exploitation recorded. Patch Next confirms exploitation only from CISA KEV.
Vendor response: Vendor fix available; fixed versions by package: magick.net-q8-arm64 14.10.2; magick.net-q8-x86 14.10.2; magick.net-q16-hdri-anycpu 14.10.2; magick.net-q16-openmp-x64 14.10.2; magick.net-q16-anycpu 14.10.2; magick.net-q16-hdri-x86 14.10.2; magick.net-q16-hdri-openmp-arm64 14.10.2; magick.net-q16-hdri-arm64 14.10.2; magick.net-q16-x86 14.10.2; magick.net-q8-openmp-x64 14.10.2; magick.net-q16-hdri-openmp-x64 14.10.2; magick.net-q16-openmp-arm64 14.10.2; magick.net-q16-x64 14.10.2; magick.net-q8-x64 14.10.2; magick.net-q8-openmp-arm64 14.10.2; magick.net-q8-anycpu 14.10.2; magick.net-q16-openmp-x86 14.10.2; magick.net-q16-arm64 14.10.2; magick.net-q16-hdri-x64 14.10.2. A vendor fix does not mean a deployment is fixed.

## Affected components
- NuGet magick.net-q8-arm64: affected < 14.10.2; fixed in 14.10.2
- NuGet magick.net-q8-x86: affected < 14.10.2; fixed in 14.10.2
- NuGet magick.net-q16-hdri-anycpu: affected < 14.10.2; fixed in 14.10.2
- NuGet magick.net-q16-openmp-x64: affected < 14.10.2; fixed in 14.10.2
- NuGet magick.net-q16-anycpu: affected < 14.10.2; fixed in 14.10.2
- NuGet magick.net-q16-hdri-x86: affected < 14.10.2; fixed in 14.10.2
- NuGet magick.net-q16-hdri-openmp-arm64: affected < 14.10.2; fixed in 14.10.2
- NuGet magick.net-q16-hdri-arm64: affected < 14.10.2; fixed in 14.10.2
- NuGet magick.net-q16-x86: affected < 14.10.2; fixed in 14.10.2
- NuGet magick.net-q8-openmp-x64: affected < 14.10.2; fixed in 14.10.2
- NuGet magick.net-q16-hdri-openmp-x64: affected < 14.10.2; fixed in 14.10.2
- NuGet magick.net-q16-openmp-arm64: affected < 14.10.2; fixed in 14.10.2
- NuGet magick.net-q16-x64: affected < 14.10.2; fixed in 14.10.2
- NuGet magick.net-q8-x64: affected < 14.10.2; fixed in 14.10.2
- NuGet magick.net-q8-openmp-arm64: affected < 14.10.2; fixed in 14.10.2
- NuGet magick.net-q8-anycpu: affected < 14.10.2; fixed in 14.10.2
- NuGet magick.net-q16-openmp-x86: affected < 14.10.2; fixed in 14.10.2
- NuGet magick.net-q16-arm64: affected < 14.10.2; fixed in 14.10.2
- NuGet magick.net-q16-hdri-x64: affected < 14.10.2; fixed in 14.10.2

## Suggested inspection (read-only)
- NuGet magick.net-q8-arm64: check the installed version with your package manager.
- NuGet magick.net-q8-x86: check the installed version with your package manager.
- NuGet magick.net-q16-hdri-anycpu: check the installed version with your package manager.
- NuGet magick.net-q16-openmp-x64: check the installed version with your package manager.
- NuGet magick.net-q16-anycpu: check the installed version with your package manager.
- NuGet magick.net-q16-hdri-x86: check the installed version with your package manager.
- NuGet magick.net-q16-hdri-openmp-arm64: check the installed version with your package manager.
- NuGet magick.net-q16-hdri-arm64: check the installed version with your package manager.
- NuGet magick.net-q16-x86: check the installed version with your package manager.
- NuGet magick.net-q8-openmp-x64: check the installed version with your package manager.
- NuGet magick.net-q16-hdri-openmp-x64: check the installed version with your package manager.
- NuGet magick.net-q16-openmp-arm64: check the installed version with your package manager.
- NuGet magick.net-q16-x64: check the installed version with your package manager.
- NuGet magick.net-q8-x64: check the installed version with your package manager.
- NuGet magick.net-q8-openmp-arm64: check the installed version with your package manager.
- NuGet magick.net-q8-anycpu: check the installed version with your package manager.
- NuGet magick.net-q16-openmp-x86: check the installed version with your package manager.
- NuGet magick.net-q16-arm64: check the installed version with your package manager.
- NuGet magick.net-q16-hdri-x64: check the installed version with your package manager.

## Supported action
Upgrade each affected component to a fixed version on its release line. For a transitive dependency, upgrade the parent package or add an override or constraint, then regenerate the lockfile. Redeploy every environment that ran an affected version.

## Required regression checks
- Run the test suite and a production build.
- Exercise the features that depend on magick.net-q8-arm64, magick.net-q8-x86, magick.net-q16-hdri-anycpu, magick.net-q16-openmp-x64, magick.net-q16-anycpu, magick.net-q16-hdri-x86, magick.net-q16-hdri-openmp-arm64, magick.net-q16-hdri-arm64, magick.net-q16-x86, magick.net-q8-openmp-x64, magick.net-q16-hdri-openmp-x64, magick.net-q16-openmp-arm64, magick.net-q16-x64, magick.net-q8-x64, magick.net-q8-openmp-arm64, magick.net-q8-anycpu, magick.net-q16-openmp-x86, magick.net-q16-arm64, magick.net-q16-hdri-x64.
- Repeat the inspection and confirm that only fixed versions remain installed.

## Rollback considerations
- Keep the previous lockfile and deployment artifact. Rolling back reinstates the vulnerable version, so apply any documented mitigation while you fix forward.

## Unresolved questions
- Which deployments run an affected version?
- Exploitation status can change. Check again before lowering the priority.
- Mark the work resolved only after the fixed version is verified in production.

## Sources
- Verified: https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-5vx3-wx4q-6cj8 (GitHub-reviewed advisory GHSA-5vx3-wx4q-6cj8 lists affected ranges: NuGet magick.net-q8-x64 >=0 =0 =0 =0 =0 =0 =0 =0 =0 =0 <14.10.2; NuGet…)

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