CVE-2026-44033 OFFIS CVE debrief

Who should care

Defenders responsible for systems using DCMTK 3.7.0 should assess exposure and prioritize verification and updates to prevent potential denial-of-service attacks. This includes operators, security teams, and vulnerability management teams that oversee DCMTK-based applications and infrastructure.

Why it matters

CVE-2026-44033 is a denial-of-service vulnerability in OFFIS DCMTK 3.7.0's XML parser. Defenders should verify and update DCMTK installations to prevent potential attacks. The vulnerability allows an attacker to cause a stack exhaustion and process crash via a crafted XML document with deeply nested elements. Further verification is needed to determine the full scope of affected systems and potential workarounds.

• Denial of service via stack exhaustion and process crash
• Potential disruption to medical imaging and related workflows
• Need for verification of DCMTK installations and updates

Technical summary

The DCMTK 3.7.0 XML parser is vulnerable to uncontrolled recursion, allowing an attacker to cause a denial of service via a crafted XML document with deeply nested elements. The parser is reachable through dcmencap when encapsulating a CDA document, and through any application that calls OFXMLParser::parseFile() or OFXMLParser::parseString() on untrusted input. This issue is fixed in commit d12e350e687530eb41e2b0c860aff4d8c04e5941. Further verification is needed to determine the full scope of affected systems and potential workarounds.

Defensive priority

Defenders should prioritize verifying and updating DCMTK installations to prevent potential denial-of-service attacks.

Recommended defensive actions

• Verify DCMTK version 3.7.0 installations and assess exposure
• Update DCMTK to a version with the fix, if available
• Monitor for and restrict untrusted XML input to DCMTK-based applications
• Review compensating controls for exposed systems while remediation is scheduled and verified
• Check relevant monitoring, detection, and logs for exposed assets that need extra review
• Track exceptions, retest remediated assets, and close the item only after evidence is documented
• Confirm whether affected product deployments exist in managed environments and assign an owner for follow-up

Evidence notes

The CVE record and source item provide details on the vulnerability, including its impact and fix. However, further verification is needed to determine the full scope of affected systems and potential workarounds.

Sources and references

Methodology and review provenance

AI-assisted synthesis based on stored public vulnerability evidence. System validation, approval state, and publication status do not by themselves establish human review of this revision. PatchSiren helps prioritize defensive review and does not prove exposure or remediation on any system.