https://seclists.org/oss-sec/2026/q3/1000: libpng 1.6.59: Use-after-fe vulnerability fixed: CVE-2026-46675

Q: Which applications are exposed to this issue?

Applications using libpng are affected if they use the sequential reader and call png_read_end before beginning to read image rows. The flaw has been present since libpng 1.6.0.

Q: What must occur for exploitation to be possible?

The affected application must invoke png_read_end without first starting image-row reading in the sequential reader. The provided information does not describe any additional attacker prerequisites.

Q: What should teams do if they cannot immediately upgrade?

Upgrade to libpng 1.6.59, or apply the fix described in the release announcement. As an interim code-level mitigation, avoid the affected call sequence by starting image-row reading before calling png_read_end.

Published Sep 29, 2026

Updated

Affected Software

1 affected component

libpng LIBPNG>=1.6.0<1.6.59

Frequently Asked Questions

Which applications are exposed to this issue?

Applications using libpng are affected if they use the sequential reader and call png_read_end before beginning to read image rows. The flaw has been present since libpng 1.6.0.

What must occur for exploitation to be possible?

The affected application must invoke png_read_end without first starting image-row reading in the sequential reader. The provided information does not describe any additional attacker prerequisites.

What should teams do if they cannot immediately upgrade?

Upgrade to libpng 1.6.59, or apply the fix described in the release announcement. As an interim code-level mitigation, avoid the affected call sequence by starting image-row reading before calling png_read_end.