CVE-2026-45696: OpenEXR HTJ2K decoder heap buffer over-read in ht_undo_impl() (DoS)
Noroxi assessment
Priority: Monitor (action score 33/100)
- The sources we track (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, Metasploit, Nuclei, GitHub) show no public exploit code or exploitation in the wild.
- Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days: 0.41% (FIRST EPSS).
- Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it. A low-privileged account is enough. No user action is required. No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
- Fixed version: AcademySoftwareFoundation openexr 3.4.12.
Low priority for now. Upgrade to AcademySoftwareFoundation openexr 3.4.12 or later.
Generated automatically from the record's data: CVSS (NVD and CNA), CISA KEV and SSVC, FIRST EPSS, exploit sources, fixed versions. How we calculate it
Primary sources: NVD · CVE.org · FIRST EPSS
OpenEXR is the reference implementation and specification for the EXR image format, widely used in the motion picture industry. In versions 3.4.0 through 3.4.11, the HTJ2K (High-Throughput JPEG 2000) decoder, ht_undo_impl() in OpenEXRCore is vulnerable to a heap-buffer-overflow READ. The ht_undo_imp function copies decoded pixels out of a per-line OpenJPH buffer using the EXR channel's declared width as the iteration count. The codestream embedded in the EXR chunk can declare different (smaller) tile/line dimensions than the EXR header advertises, but ht_undo_impl() does not validate this — it pulls width 32-bit samples from cur_line->i32[] without checking the OpenJPH line buffer's actual length. A crafted EXR file produces a 4-byte heap-buffer-overflow READ immediately after a buffer allocated by ojph::local::codestream::finalize_alloc(). The bug is reachable through the standard scanline-decode entry point used by every consumer of exr_decoding_run/Imf::checkOpenEXRFile, including thumbnailers, asset pipelines, and the exrcheck utility — i.e. any application that opens untrusted EXR files. The result is a deterministic crash (DoS) and potential adjacent-heap leak. This issue has been fixed in version 3.4.12.
- Published
- Jun 18, 2026
- Updated
- Oct 25, 2026
- EPSS
- 0.4% · 35th percentile
- CWE
- CWE-122
Report tools
Action score
33
Monitor
Low priority for now.
- CVSS
- 33 / 40 · 8.3 / 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
- 8.3
- NVD has not scored this yet; the score shown is the CNA’s.
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:H
The score given by the assigning authority versus NVD’s independent score. A gap means the severity is contested.
Get told when this record changes
- Not in KEV: no record of exploitation in the wild
- No public exploit code on record
- A fix has been released
If any of these changes, we'll tell you in the daily email digest.
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Noroxi analysis
What does it mean in your environment?
The assessment above is generated automatically from the record's data; it doesn't know your environment. Our team verifies on your systems whether this vulnerability is actually exploitable and which mitigation is enough.
We use this product, ask for helpAffected systems
Is your version affected?
Pick the product and type the version you run. It's compared with this record's version ranges in your browser; the version isn't sent anywhere.
| Vendor | Product | CPE |
|---|---|---|
| openexr | openexr | cpe:2.3:a:openexr:openexr |
Affected versions
NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.
- openexr openexr3.4.0 and later · before 3.4.12
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.
AcademySoftwareFoundation openexr
- >= 3.4.0, < 3.4.11affected
Package-level exposure
OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.
| Ecosystem | Package | Affected range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian:14 | openexr | before 3.4.14-0.1 | 3.4.14-0.1 |
| openSUSE:Tumbleweed | openexr | before 3.4.12-1.1 | 3.4.12-1.1 |
Same product
openexr: all recordsOther highest-scoring records for the same primary product.
- CVE-2023-5841OpenEXR Heap Overflow in Scanline Deep Data Parsing36Monitor
- CVE-2021-23169A heap-buffer overflow was found in the copyIntoFrameBuffer function of OpenEXR in versions before 3.0.1.36Monitor
- CVE-2017-9115In OpenEXR 2.2.0, an invalid write of size 2 in the = operator function in half.h could cause the application to crash or execute arbitrary 36Monitor
Published before and after this one in the same product
- ← EarlierCVE-2026-42216May 7, 2026 · OpenEXR: Out-of-bounds read in `IDManifest::init()` during prefix expansion35Monitor
- ← EarlierCVE-2026-42217May 7, 2026 · OpenEXR: Shift exponent overflow in `readVariableLengthInteger()` (`ImfIDManifest.cpp`)25Monitor
- ← EarlierCVE-2026-44663Jun 18, 2026 · OpenEXR: Integer overflow in the HTJ2K decoder leads to heap-buffer-overflow28Monitor
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 |
|---|---|---|
| AcademySoftwareFoundation openexr | 3.4.12 · description | Vendor (CNA) |
| debian:openexr | 3.4.14-0.1 · Debian:14 | Package registry (OSV) |
| opensuse:openexr | 3.4.12-1.1 · openSUSE:Tumbleweed | 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.
- CVE-2026-3454578 days apartOpenEXR: integer overflow lead to OOB in HTJ2K decoder33Monitor
- CVE-2025-48071322 days apartOpenEXR's Forged Unpacked Size can Lead to Heap-Based Buffer Overflow in Deep Scanline Parsing33Monitor
- CVE-2025-12495177 days apartAcademy Software Foundation OpenEXR EXR File Parsing Heap-based Buffer Overflow Remote Code Execution Vulnerability31Monitor
- CVE-2025-12839177 days apartAcademy Software Foundation OpenEXR EXR File Parsing Heap-based Buffer Overflow Remote Code Execution Vulnerability31Monitor
- CVE-2025-12840177 days apartAcademy Software Foundation OpenEXR EXR File Parsing Heap-based Buffer Overflow Remote Code Execution Vulnerability31Monitor
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.
- A low-privileged account is enough.
- No user action is required.
- No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
If successful
- Confidentiality
- Integrity
- Availability
- Attack vector
- Network
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- X
Weakness class (CWE)
CWE-122 · Heap-based Buffer OverflowCVSS vector
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:H/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X
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.
Attack patterns (CAPEC)
ATT&CK techniques
—
Change log
- Fix✗ → ✓
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References
Show all references (3 more)Show less
Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.