Vulnerabilities

Vulnerability · RSEC-2026-1

Risk of Buffer Overflow Vulnerability when installed from source on Windows R < 4.2

Published Mar 13, 2026 · catalog updated Mar 26, 2026 · Risk of Buffer Overflow

Open the advisory

Exploitation likelihood is not on this record for RSEC-2026-1. A missing EPSS score is not a low risk. Compare Risk of Buffer Overflow with the linked advisory before you change production.

Gaps on this record

  • The stored product name is a package slug. The name on this page is taken from the title (Risk of Buffer Overflow).
  • No vendor fix or required action is stored. Compare the linked advisory before you change production.
  • EPSS is missing. A missing score is not a low risk.
Severity
Unknown—
Known exploitation
Not in CISA/VulnCheck KEV
EPSS
Awaiting synchronization with FIRST
Remediation
Advisory link
Affected products
CRAN png

Installing the png package from source on Windows could download and install an older version of libpng that has known vulnerabilities. On Windows R versions < 4.2, building the png package will download an archived libpng 1.5.4 from 2011. Note that on R versions 4.2 or newer, libpng is bundled in the relevant Rtools42+ and is not downloaded during png package installation. Check the Rtools release notes to see if the vulnerability applies. Where the vulnerable libpng is used, this represents a risk of buffer overflow when reading certain png files.

Are you affected?

Enter the version you run. The result uses only the ranges stored on this record.

The check returns affected, not affected, or incomplete. It does not guess a version that is missing from the record.

  • CRAN png0.1-3 → 0.1-9

How to fix RSEC-2026-1

  • Recommended remediation

    A patch or advisory reference is linked. Open the original publisher for availability by product version.

  • Official advisories

What to do

Three questions, each answered from this record only. Confirm the vendor advisory before you patch.

Should you patch?

Exploitation likelihood is not on this record for RSEC-2026-1. A missing EPSS score is not a low risk. Compare Risk of Buffer Overflow with the linked advisory before you change production.

Which versions are affected?

Compare what you have installed with 0.1-3 → 0.1-9. Compare the installed version with the linked vendor advisory before you change production.

What should an analyst verify?

No weakness class is stored. EPSS is not on this record yet. There is no CISA KEV listing. No Exploit-DB or Metasploit reference is linked. Use the source links for the original advisory.

Technology hubs

Code

The project this record applies to. Exploit listings stay in References.

Timeline

Detection, updates, and resolution for this record.

  1. Mar 13, 2026 · OpenSSF OSV / OSV Scanner

    Detected

    Installing the png package from source on Windows could download and install an older version of libpng that has known vulnerabilities. On Windows R versions < 4.2, building the png package will download an archived libpng 1.5.4 from 2011. Note that on R versions 4.2 or newer, libpng is bundled in the relevant Rtools42+ and is not downloaded during png package installation. Check the Rtools releas

  2. Mar 26, 2026 · OpenSSF OSV / OSV Scanner

    Fix available

    png fixed in 0.1-9

  3. Mar 26, 2026 · OpenSSF OSV / OSV Scanner

    Fix available

    png fixed in 0.1-9

  4. Mar 26, 2026 · OpenSSF OSV / OSV Scanner

    Updated

    Installing the png package from source on Windows could download and install an older version of libpng that has known vulnerabilities. On Windows R versions < 4.2, building the png package will download an archived libpng 1.5.4 from 2011. Note that on R versions 4.2 or newer, libpng is bundled in the relevant Rtools42+ and is not downloaded during png package installation. Check the Rtools releas

Sources

References

Freshness

Last verified in this catalog Mar 26, 2026. Significant claims (KEV, EPSS, CVSS, affected ranges) come from the source rows above — open the original publisher for the authoritative advisory.