Vulnerability Description
Dompdf is an HTML to PDF converter for PHP. Versions 3.15 and prior are vulnerable to a Denial of Service (DoS) attack via resource exhaustion. An attacker can crash the PHP process by providing a specially crafted HTML document containing a single image with massive dimensions (e.g., 30,000x30,000 pixels). While Dompdf implements internal checks to validate image dimensions, these can be bypassed by using a high-entropy image (such as random noise) encoded in Base64 and wrapped in specific CSS containers. The vulnerability exists because the dimension validation happens early, but the resource allocation for calculating the object's bounding box and internal buffers during the rendering phase does not strictly limit the cumulative CPU time or memory usage for a single object that has passed the initial check. An unauthenticated remote attacker can cause a complete Denial of Service on the web server by submitting a crafted HTML string. This affects any application that allows users to provide HTML content or URLs that are subsequently converted to PDF using Dompdf. This issue has been fixed in version 3.16.
CVSS Score
HIGH
Affected Products
| Vendor | Product | Versions |
|---|---|---|
| Dompdf Project | Dompdf | < 3.1.6 |
Related Weaknesses (CWE)
References
- https://github.com/dompdf/dompdf/commit/7c65e7bbeccf146b2409740405af73949ad129d0Patch
- https://github.com/dompdf/dompdf/commit/89164eaabe0bb50c462f0b24f740044ba5fb0f99Patch
- https://github.com/dompdf/dompdf/releases/tag/v3.1.6Release Notes
- https://github.com/dompdf/dompdf/security/advisories/GHSA-f5gf-2cj8-52g2ExploitVendor Advisory
- https://github.com/dompdf/dompdf/security/advisories/GHSA-f5gf-2cj8-52g2ExploitVendor Advisory
FAQ
What is CVE-2026-59942?
CVE-2026-59942 is a vulnerability with a CVSS score of 7.5 (HIGH). Dompdf is an HTML to PDF converter for PHP. Versions 3.15 and prior are vulnerable to a Denial of Service (DoS) attack via resource exhaustion. An attacker can crash the PHP process by providing a spe...
How severe is CVE-2026-59942?
CVE-2026-59942 has been rated HIGH with a CVSS base score of 7.5/10. Review the CVSS metrics above for detailed severity breakdown.
Is there a patch for CVE-2026-59942?
Check the references section above for vendor advisories and patch information. Affected products include: Dompdf Project Dompdf.