Summary
Successful exploitation of this vulnerability could allow an attacker to send a specially crafted file, and when parsed, could result in a denial-of-service condition.
The following versions of Grassroots DICOM (GDCM) are affected:
- Grassroots DICOM (GDCM) 3.2.2 (CVE-2026-3650)
| CVSS | Vendor | Equipment | Vulnerabilities |
|---|---|---|---|
| v3 7.5 | Grassroots | Grassroots DICOM (GDCM) | Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime |
Background
- Critical Infrastructure Sectors: Healthcare and Public Health
- Countries/Areas Deployed: Worldwide
- Company Headquarters Location: United States
Vulnerabilities
CVE-2026-3650
A memory leak exists in the Grassroots DICOM library (GDCM). The bug occurs when parsing malformed DICOM files with non-standard VR types in file meta information. The vulnerability leads to vast memory allocations and resource depletion, triggering a denial-of-service condition. A maliciously crafted file can fill the heap in a single read operation without properly releasing it.
Affected Products
Grassroots DICOM (GDCM)
Grassroots
Grassroots Grassroots DICOM (GDCM): 3.2.2
known_affected
Remediations
Mitigation
The maintainer of Grassroots DICOM (GDCM) has not responded to requests to work with CISA to mitigate this vulnerability. For update information refer to the software page on SourceForge.
Mitigation
https://sourceforge.net/projects/gdcm/.
https://sourceforge.net/projects/gdcm/
Relevant CWE: CWE-401 Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime
Metrics
| CVSS Version | Base Score | Base Severity | Vector String |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.1 | 7.5 | HIGH | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H |
Acknowledgments
- Volodymyr Bihunenko, Mykyta Mudryi, and Markiian Chaklosh of ARIMLABS reported this vulnerability to CISA
Legal Notice and Terms of Use
This product is provided subject to this Notification (https://www.cisa.gov/notification) and this Privacy & Use policy (https://www.cisa.gov/privacy-policy).
Recommended Practices
CISA recommends users take defensive measures to minimize the risk of exploitation of this vulnerability.
Minimize network exposure for all control system devices and/or systems, ensuring they are not accessible from the internet.
Locate control system networks and remote devices behind firewalls and isolating them from business networks.
When remote access is required, use more secure methods, such as Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), recognizing VPNs may have vulnerabilities and should be updated to the most current version available. Also recognize VPN is only as secure as the connected devices.
CISA reminds organizations to perform proper impact analysis and risk assessment prior to deploying defensive measures.
CISA also provides a section for control systems security recommended practices on the ICS webpage on cisa.gov/ics. Several CISA products detailing cyber defense best practices are available for reading and download, including Improving Industrial Control Systems Cybersecurity with Defense-in-Depth Strategies.
CISA encourages organizations to implement recommended cybersecurity strategies for proactive defense of ICS assets.
Additional mitigation guidance and recommended practices are publicly available on the ICS webpage at cisa.gov/ics in the technical information paper, ICS-TIP-12-146-01B--Targeted Cyber Intrusion Detection and Mitigation Strategies.
Organizations observing suspected malicious activity should follow established internal procedures and report findings to CISA for tracking and correlation against other incidents.
CISA also recommends users take the following measures to protect themselves from social engineering attacks:
Do not click web links or open attachments in unsolicited email messages.
Refer to Recognizing and Avoiding Email Scams for more information on avoiding email scams.
Refer to Avoiding Social Engineering and Phishing Attacks for more information on social engineering attacks.
No known public exploitation specifically targeting this vulnerability has been reported to CISA at this time.
Revision History
- Initial Release Date: 2026-03-24
| Date | Revision | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-03-24 | 1 | Initial Publication. |
Legal Notice and Terms of Use
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/ics-medical-advisories/icsma-26-083-01