HEIF Heist: one image parser bug class hits OpenAI, Meta, Slack, GitHub Enterprise
jedisct1 · x · 2026-09-18
Hacktron published the "HEIF Heist" report: a class of remote attack paths targeting services that decode attacker-controlled HEIF/HEIC/AVIF images. The attack surface sits below the application layer in native C/C++ decoders like libheif and libde265, often bundled via ImageMagick, libvips, Sharp, distro packages, or container base images.
Demonstrated impact includes: dump of OpenAI private repos (Discourse RCE + SSO flaw chain), Slack RCE leaking files, RCE in Meta's core product suite via image upload, leaked user tokens and AWS credentials, authenticated RCE on Discourse and GitHub Enterprise (CVE-2026-19118), unauthenticated RCE in Next.js via AVIF optimization, and RCE across multiple web frameworks/CMS.
By probing upload endpoints with crafted .avif/.heic files, attackers can fingerprint the remote libheif version and fire a version-matched n-day/0-day payload for memory corruption or RCE. The research grew out of broader security work against frontier labs.
More from Safety
- Anthropic says it may imminently hit RSP threshold for AI-accelerated R&D, releases provable inference work — tobyordoxford · 2026-11-04
- Hackers reset French blood service freezers from -30°C to 110°C in supply-chain cyberattack — LuizaJarovsky · 2026-11-04
- Google says it removed post-employment non-disparagement clauses from new-hire terms — HaydnBelfield · 2026-11-04
- Claude doesn't really forget: Anthropic's privacy policy allows records retention up to 7 years — nikola_mr64990 · 2026-11-04
- Polymarket opens a market on Anthropic's next AI sandbox escape — Polymarket · 2026-11-04
- Rival company blames 'AI gone off the rails' after founder catches it hacking his network — AccBalanced · 2026-11-04