{"id":"CVE-2026-8822","kind":"vulnerability","aliases":["CVE-2026-8822"],"related":[],"title":"VTK: crafted USGS DEM file overflows buffer in vtkDEMReader","description":"A memory corruption vulnerability exists in the vtkDEMReader ReadProfiles functionality of vtk (version(s): 9.6.1). A specially crafted USGS DEM can lead to a buffer overflow. An attacker can provide a malicious file to trigger this vulnerability.","summary":"VTK, the Visualization Toolkit library, has a memory corruption bug in its vtkDEMReader ReadProfiles code path for USGS DEM terrain files. A crafted DEM file can cause a buffer overflow, which an attacker can use to crash the process or possibly run code when a victim opens the file.","severity":"high","cvss":7.5,"epss":null,"exploited":false,"exploited_at":null,"products":[{"name":"vtk","fixed":[],"affected":"9.6.1","ecosystem":"pypi"}],"ecosystems":[],"tags":["c++","gis","package","python","scientific-computing","vtk"],"not_affected_if":["no-dem-input","trusted-data-only"],"how_to_check":"- Check the installed VTK version, for example `vtkVersion::GetVTKVersion()` or the VTK package version in your build or lockfile, and look for `9.6.1`.\n- Search your code and pipelines for uses of the vtkDEMReader class or DEM file input.","fix":null,"status":"open","published_at":"2026-10-29T19:17:28+00:00","first_seen_at":"2026-10-29T19:26:48+00:00","triaged_at":"2026-10-29T19:27:21+00:00","updated_at":"2026-10-29T19:28:22+00:00","category":"package","confidence":0.5,"triage":{"at":"2026-10-29T19:27:21Z","model":"claude-haiku-5-5","output":{"fix":"unknown","reach":"local","title":"VTK: crafted USGS DEM file overflows buffer in vtkDEMReader","impact":"high","summary":"VTK, the Visualization Toolkit library, has a memory corruption bug in its vtkDEMReader ReadProfiles code path for USGS DEM terrain files. A crafted DEM file can cause a buffer overflow, which an attacker can use to crash the process or possibly run code when a victim opens the file.","audience":"developers","category":"package","nicknames":[],"who_cares":["vtk","python","c++","gis","scientific-computing"],"confidence":0.6,"fix_status":"unknown","needs_auth":"no","worst_case":"Attacker-supplied DEM file may overflow a buffer and run code","analyst_note":"Confirm the fixed VTK version and whether the ReadProfiles overflow is reachable through normal file loading; check the NVD entry and the VTK project's advisory.","how_to_check":"- Check the installed VTK version, for example `vtkVersion::GetVTKVersion()` or the VTK package version in your build or lockfile, and look for `9.6.1`.\n- Search your code and pipelines for uses of the vtkDEMReader class or DEM file input.","plain_action":"","needs_analyst":true,"not_affected_if":["no-dem-input","trusted-data-only"],"who_is_affected":"Teams that build or ship applications using VTK 9.6.1 and read USGS DEM files, especially from untrusted sources such as user uploads or external data feeds. Systems that never parse DEM files or only use trusted, locally generated DEM data are less exposed. The sources do not state a fixed version.","user_interaction":"yes","needs_special_setup":"unknown","severity_if_unknown":"high"},"cost_usd":0.00072,"input_tokens":4132,"output_tokens":614,"severity_before":"high"},"analyst_status":"done","analyst_note":"Confirm the fixed VTK version and whether the ReadProfiles overflow is reachable through normal file loading; check the NVD entry and the VTK project's advisory.","search":"'-2026':11A,14A '-8822':12A,15A '9.6.1':88C 'attack':57B,101C 'buffer':7A,53B,98C 'bug':34B 'c':17B 'caus':51B 'code':39B,67B 'comput':23B 'corrupt':33B,76C 'craft':2A,47B,91C 'crash':61B 'cve':10A,13A 'dem':4A,43B,48B,93C 'exist':78C 'file':5A,45B,49B,73B,106C 'function':83C 'gis':18B 'lead':95C 'librari':29B 'malici':105C 'memori':32B,75C 'open':71B 'overflow':6A,54B,99C 'packag':19B 'path':40B 'possibl':65B 'process':63B 'provid':103C 'python':20B 'readprofil':38B,82C 'run':66B 'scientif':22B 'scientific-comput':21B 'special':90C 'terrain':44B 'toolkit':28B 'trigger':108C 'use':59B 'usg':3A,42B,92C 'version':86C 'victim':70B 'visual':27B 'vtk':1A,16A,24B,25B,85C 'vtkdemread':9A,37B,81C 'vulner':77C,110C","nicknames":[],"mitigations":[],"who_affected":"Applications that use VTK 9.6.1 (C++ or the Python vtk package) and load USGS DEM terrain files with vtkDEMReader. Exposure is highest when DEM files come from untrusted sources such as uploads or external data feeds. Anything that never reads DEM files, or only reads trusted local data, can skip it. Only 9.6.1 is named as affected; other versions are untested, not confirmed safe.","tier":"B","verified":{},"analyst_revisit_at":null,"fix_status":"none","audience":"developers","plain_action":null,"first_public_at":"2026-10-29T19:17:28+00:00","kev":null,"cvss_vector":"CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H","cvss_by":"talos-cna@cisco.com","poc_count":0,"sources":[{"source":"nvd","external_id":"CVE-2026-8822","url":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-8822","severity":null,"published_at":"2026-10-29T19:17:28+00:00","modified_at":"2026-10-29T19:17:28+00:00","first_seen_at":"2026-10-29T19:26:48+00:00","fetched_at":"2026-10-29T19:26:48+00:00","note":null},{"source":"analyst","external_id":"CVE-2026-8822:1100","url":null,"severity":null,"published_at":"2026-10-29T19:28:22+00:00","modified_at":"2026-10-29T19:28:22+00:00","first_seen_at":"2026-10-29T19:28:22+00:00","fetched_at":"2026-10-29T19:28:22+00:00","note":"NVD (CNA: Cisco Talos) names VTK 9.6.1 only. I found no Talos report, VTK/Kitware advisory or fixed version for this CVE, so fix stays unknown and nothing is verified. Reachability: vtkDEMReader::ReadProfiles runs on normal Update() of a DEM file, so opening a crafted file is enough. CVSS vector in the signal says AV:N/A:H only. To settle: Talos report or the Kitware GitLab issue/release notes after 9.6.1."}],"documents":[{"id":18899,"url":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-8822","title":"NVD CVE-2026-8822","kind":"other","source":"analyst","publisher":null,"text":null,"published_at":null,"relation":"describes","confidence":null,"note":null}],"notice":"Free to read at a human pace. An API with keys and an MCP server are in preparation; early access: hello@infrastack.ai"}