Windows GDI EMF Heap Buffer Overflow RCE
CVE-2026-35421 is a critical heap-based buffer overflow in the Windows Graphics Device Interface (GDI). The flaw is triggered when Windows GDI processes a specially crafted Enhanced Metafile (EMF) image, with the provided reporting consistently identifying Microsoft Paint as the attack vector used to open or otherwise process the malicious file. The vulnerability is described as a heap overflow condition in GDI’s handling of EMF content, which can corrupt process memory and lead to code execution in the context of the application processing the file.
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Impact, mitigation & remediation
What it means. What to do now. Patch path, mitigations, and the assume-compromise checklist.
Impact
What an attacker gets, and what they’ve been doing with it.
Mitigation
If you can’t patch tonight, do this now.
Remediation
Patch, then assume compromise.
Exploits
No public exploits tracked yet. Mallory keeps watching.
No public exploit code observed for this vulnerability.
Affected products & vendors
Products and vendors Mallory has correlated with this vulnerability. Open in Mallory to drill down to specific CPE configurations and version ranges.
Vendor-confirmed product mapping. Mallory continuously reconciles this list against your asset inventory.
Recent activity
5 sources tracked across advisories, community write-ups, and news. New activity surfaces here as Mallory finds it.
A remote code execution vulnerability in Windows Graphics Device Interface (GDI) involving specially crafted Enhanced Metafile (EMF) files opened in Windows Paint.
A Windows GDI remote code execution vulnerability exploitable via a malicious EMF image opened in Microsoft Paint.
A critical remote code execution vulnerability in Windows GDI caused by a heap-based buffer overflow triggered by opening a crafted EMF file in Microsoft Paint.
A critical heap-based buffer overflow in Windows GDI that can lead to local code execution when a user opens or processes a specially crafted EMF file in Microsoft Paint.
The version that knows your environment.
Query your assets running an affected version, and investigate the blast radius.
Every observed campaign linking this CVE to a named adversary.
Malware families riding this exploit, with evidence and IOCs.
YARA, Sigma, Snort, and vendor rules, auto-deployed to your SIEM.
Cross-references every affected SKU, including bundled OEM variants.
Community discussion across Reddit, Mastodon, and other social sources.