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CVE-2026-40494

9.8
Critical
EPSS 0.31%Patch availableApr 18, 2026

RLE decode bounds flaw in SAIL TGA codec allows 496-byte heap overwrite.

common questions

Is CVE-2026-40494 being exploited?

Not confirmed. CVE-2026-40494 does not appear in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, which records only exploitation that has been observed and reported publicly. That is evidence of absence of a report, not evidence the flaw is unattacked. EPSS currently estimates a 0.31% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How severe is CVE-2026-40494?

CVE-2026-40494 is rated Critical with a CVSS score of 9.8. Severity describes how bad exploitation would be, not how likely it is: pair it with exploitation evidence before deciding what to patch first.

Is there a patch for CVE-2026-40494?

Yes. A fix has been recorded for CVE-2026-40494. The vendor advisory is the authority on the exact fixed version — apply it from there rather than from a summary.

What does CVE-2026-40494 affect?

CVE-2026-40494 affects SAIL library (image processing), TGA codec in SAIL. Confirm the exact affected versions against the vendor advisory before deciding you are exposed.

What should I do about CVE-2026-40494?

Upgrade to patched SAIL version with fixed tga.c

Exploitation status reflects CISA's KEV catalog as we last synced it. Check the catalog directly.

executive summary
technical analysis
affected
SAIL library (image processing)TGA codec in SAIL
impact

Heap overflow via crafted TGA image; potential remote code execution.

action required

Patch when possible

affected versions
HappySeaFox sail
  • affected< 45d48d1f2e8e0d73e80bc1fd5310cb57f4547302

As published in the CVE Program record. A version outside these ranges is not a statement that it is unaffected — vendors sometimes understate a range, and distribution-backported builds carry upstream numbers that do not reflect what was patched into them.

how to fix
Remediation steps are tailored for users whose stack is affected. Add this technology to your stack to see the fix checklist.
references
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