libheif is Vulnerable to Infinite Loop DoS via stts Sample Duration Lookup
libheif is a HEIF and AVIF file format decoder and encoder. In versions 1.21.2 and below, a crafted 800-byte HEIF sequence file causes an infinite loop in Box_stts::get_sample_duration(), consuming 100% CPU indefinitely with zero progress, leading to DoS. The loop has no iteration limit or timeout and is triggered during file open (parsing) - before any user interaction or image decoding. The process stays alive (no crash, no error logged), making it invisible to crash-based monitoring. This issue has been fixed in version 1.22.0.
- Published
- May 19, 2026
- Updated
- Jul 24, 2026
- EPSS
- 0.4% · 31th percentile
- CWE
- CWE-835
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Report tools
Action score
26
Monitor
Low priority for now.
- CVSS
- 26 / 40 · 6.5 / 10
- CISA KEV
- 0 / 30 · Not listed
- EPSS
- 0 / 30 · 0.4%
CISA SSVC decision
- Exploitation
- proof of concept
- Automatable
- no
- Technical impact
- partial
Vulnrichment: CISA's decision-tree inputs.
CNA vs NVD score
- NVD
- —
- CNA · GitHub_M
- 6.5
- NVD has not scored this yet; the score shown is the CNA’s.
The score given by the assigning authority versus NVD’s independent score. A gap means the severity is contested.
Noroxi analysis
No Noroxi analysis for this record yet
We don't hand-write analysis for the hundreds of thousands of vulnerabilities in the database; that wouldn't be honest. For notable, high-impact vulnerabilities our team writes the mechanism, detection and remediation steps.
We use this product, ask for helpAffected systems
| Vendor | Product | CPE |
|---|---|---|
| struktur | libheif | cpe:2.3:a:struktur:libheif |
Affected versions
NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.
- struktur libheifbefore 1.22.0
Versions reported by the vendor
Affected version ranges reported by the assigning authority (GitHub_M). Independent of NVD's CPE analysis and usually ahead of it.
strukturag libheif
- < 1.22.0affected
Package-level exposure
OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.
| Ecosystem | Package | Affected range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alpine:v3.23 | libheif | before 1.23.0-r0 | 1.23.0-r0 |
| Debian:12 | libheif | all versions | — |
| Debian:14 | libheif | before 1.23.1-1 | 1.23.1-1 |
| openSUSE:Leap 16.0 | libheif | before 1.23.0-160000.1.1 | 1.23.0-160000.1.1 |
| openSUSE:Tumbleweed | libheif | before 1.22.2-1.1 | 1.22.2-1.1 |
| SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Desktop Applications 15 SP7 | libheif | before 1.23.0-150700.3.15.1 | 1.23.0-150700.3.15.1 |
| SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 16.0 | libheif | before 1.23.0-160000.1.1 | 1.23.0-160000.1.1 |
Same product
struktur: all recordsOther highest-scoring records for the same primary product.
- CVE-2019-11471libheif 1.4.0 has a use-after-free in heif::HeifContext::Image::set_alpha_channel in heif_context.h because heif_context.cc mishandles refer36Monitor
- CVE-2026-32740libheif: Heap-Buffer-Overflow Write in Grid Tile Chroma Compositing35Monitor
- CVE-2023-49464libheif v1.17.5 was discovered to contain a segmentation violation via the function UncompressedImageCodec::get_luma_bits_per_pixel_from_con35Monitor
- CVE-2023-49463libheif v1.17.5 was discovered to contain a segmentation violation via the function find_exif_tag at /libheif/exif.cc.35Monitor
- CVE-2023-49462libheif v1.17.5 was discovered to contain a segmentation violation via the component /libheif/exif.cc.35Monitor
- CVE-2023-49460libheif v1.17.5 was discovered to contain a segmentation violation via the function UncompressedImageCodec::decode_uncompressed_image.35Monitor
Remediation
Which version to upgrade to
Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.
| Product / package | Fixed version | Source |
|---|---|---|
| strukturag libheif | 1.22.0 · description | Vendor (CNA) |
| alpine:libheif | 1.23.0-r0 · Alpine:v3.23 | Package registry (OSV) |
| debian:libheif | 1.23.1-1 · Debian:14 | Package registry (OSV) |
| opensuse:libheif | 1.22.2-1.1 · openSUSE:Tumbleweed | Package registry (OSV) |
| suse:libheif | 1.23.0-160000.1.1 · SUSE:Linux Enterprise Server 16.0 | Package registry (OSV) |
Exploit status
No known public exploit
No public exploit has been observed yet. That doesn't mean you're safe, only that the bar is a little higher.
Research context
For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.
Timeline
From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.
No dated events beyond publication.
FIRST EPSS daily score; only changes of 0.01 or more are recorded (step chart).
Patch and commit links
Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.
No commit or PR link among the references.
Credits
All researchersFinders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.
No credits in the CNA record.
Variant candidates
Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.
No nightly-computed relations.
Chain candidates
An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.
—
Bug bounty scope
No known public program.
Source: bounty-targets-data (public HackerOne, Bugcrowd, Intigriti, YesWeHack listings).
Technical details
Attack conditions
- Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it.
- No account or password is required.
- A user must open a link or visit a page.
- No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
If successful
- Confidentiality
- none
- Integrity
- none
- Availability
- high · the service can be disrupted
- Attack vector
- Network
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality impact
- None
- Integrity impact
- None
- Availability impact
- High
Weakness class (CWE)
CWE-835 · Loop with Unreachable Exit Condition ('Infinite Loop')CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
nvd-secondary
Attack context
MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.
MITRE has no CAPEC/ATT&CK mapping for this CWE.
Change log
- Fix✗ → ✓
For records you follow, these changes also arrive as notifications. →
References
Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.