CVE-2025-53014

What it actually does

Heap buffer overflow in InterpretImageFilename caused by off-by-one error leading to out-of-bounds memory access when processing format strings containing consecutive percent signs (%%).

Why it matters to the business

Applications relying on ImageMagick for image handling face risk of crashes or potential remote code execution, which can disrupt services and require emergency patching across image-processing workflows.

How an attack unfolds

An attacker supplies a crafted image filename or format string containing consecutive percent signs to trigger the off-by-one error during InterpretImageFilename processing, resulting in heap memory corruption that may be leveraged for code execution or denial of service.

How to fix it

Upgrade ImageMagick to version 7.1.2-0 or later and ImageMagick6 to 6.9.13-26 or later; apply the specific fixes in commits 3fcd081c0278427fc0e8ac40ef75c0a1537792f7 and 363f86d818f807e49269287be9c326f658379685 respectively.

How to confirm the fix worked

Verify installed version is at or above the fixed releases, then test processing of format strings containing %% to confirm absence of overflow or crashes.

Typical attack path

1. Locate systems using vulnerable ImageMagick versions for image processing
2. Craft input containing format strings with consecutive percent signs (%%)
3. Invoke image operations that call InterpretImageFilename on the malicious input
4. Trigger heap buffer overflow to corrupt memory and attempt code execution or crash

How to detect it

Review application logs and process crash dumps for anomalies during image filename parsing; look for repeated processing of inputs with percent sign patterns in image handling routines.

What your security team should do

• Prioritize upgrade of ImageMagick packages to the fixed commits or versions in all environments
• Scan dependency trees for affected imagemagick and imagemagick6 packages and enforce version pinning
• Monitor for new public exploits given the modest but increasing EPSS trend