Raw vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:HCVSS and EPSS are reproduced from their sources (NVD, FIRST EPSS). Risk Priority is our own derived reading, not an NVD score.
Summary
CVE-2026-5437 is a high-severity Out-of-bounds Read (CWE-125) vulnerability in Orthanc-Server Orthanc. Its CVSS base score is 7.5 (High).
Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Exploitation for Privilege Escalation (T1068); ranked at the 48th percentile by exploit likelihood (below the median); it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.
The strongest mitigations our analysis identified map to SA-11 (Developer Testing and Evaluation) and SA-8 (Security and Privacy Engineering Principles) — see the control section below for these in your framework.
Deeper analysis AI-assisted summary
Synthesised by an AI model from the NVD description and linked references — a reading aid, not an authoritative source.
CVE-2026-5437, published on 2026-04-09, is an out-of-bounds read vulnerability (CWE-125) in the DicomStreamReader component during DICOM meta-header parsing. The issue arises when processing malformed metadata structures, causing the parser to read beyond the bounds of the allocated metadata buffer due to insufficient input validation. This affects DICOM processing software such as Orthanc-server, as indicated by vendor references.
Remote attackers can exploit this vulnerability over the network with low complexity, requiring no privileges or user interaction (CVSS:3.1 score of 7.5; AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H). By sending crafted DICOM data with malformed metadata, an unauthenticated attacker can trigger the out-of-bounds read, resulting in high availability impact, such as potential denial of service, though the issue does not typically crash the server or directly expose data.
Mitigation details are available in related advisories, including the CERT vulnerability note at https://kb.cert.org/vuls/id/536588, as well as vendor resources at https://www.machinespirits.de/ and https://www.orthanc-server.com/.
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2026-20913
Vulnerability Data
An out-of-bounds read vulnerability exists in `DicomStreamReader` during DICOM meta-header parsing. When processing malformed metadata structures, the parser may read beyond the bounds of the allocated metadata buffer. Although this issue does not typically crash the server or expose data…
more
directly to the attacker, it reflects insufficient input validation in the parsing logic.
- CWE(s)
Related Threats
MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques
CVEs Like This One
Affected Assets
Mitigating Controls
Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5) AI
Developer testing and evaluation directly finds out-of-bounds read flaws through static analysis, fuzzing, and dynamic bounds checks.
Secure engineering principles require bounds checking and memory-safe constructs that stop out-of-bounds reads from being introduced.
Process isolation confines the effects of an out-of-bounds read to the compromised process.
Input validation rejects malformed indices or lengths that would otherwise cause reads outside buffer bounds.
Mitigating Controls (NIST CSF 2.0) AI
Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→CSF cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.
Secure-development practices such as bounds checking and memory-safe languages directly prevent out-of-bounds reads.
Vulnerability scanning and recording can discover instances of out-of-bounds reads after code is deployed.
Routine patching replaces vulnerable code containing out-of-bounds read flaws.
Mitigating Controls (ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A) AI
Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→ISO cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.
Security testing in development and acceptance includes fuzzing and static analysis that detect out-of-bounds read defects before release.
Logging can record evidence of an out-of-bounds read but does not prevent the weakness itself.
Secure development life cycle mandates input validation and bounds checking that directly prevent out-of-bounds reads.
Application security requirements include explicit bounds and memory-safety specifications that mitigate buffer over-reads.
Secure system architecture and engineering principles require memory-safe design patterns and runtime protections against out-of-bounds access.
Secure coding standards explicitly forbid unsafe pointer arithmetic and mandate bounds-checked reads, eliminating CWE-125.