Vulnerability · Published Aug 25, 2026 · Assigned by GitHub_M

CVE-2026-68514OpenEXR: Heap buffer overflow in PyOpenEXR from literal/prefixed RGB channel name collision in deep images

Medium 5.5

In plain English

A medium-severity heap buffer overflow in openexr from AcademySoftwareFoundation. Proof-of-concept exploit code is public. The chance it is exploited in the next 30 days is estimated at 0.2% (higher than 8% of all known vulnerabilities). Fixed versions are available - upgrade the affected package.

Severity (CVSS 3.1)5.5Medium
Exploit odds (30 days)0.2%top 92.0% of all CVEs
Exploited in the wildNo reportsCISA SSVC: poc
Attack toolingNoneno public tooling known

Official description

OpenEXR is the reference implementation and specification for the EXR image file format, widely used in the motion picture industry. In versions 3.3.0 through 3.3.12 and 3.4.0 through 3.4.13, the PyOpenEXR Python bindings contain a heap out-of-bounds write triggered when reading a crafted deep scanline EXR file. When a deep file declares a literal channel named left alongside layer-prefixed RGB channels left.R, left.G, and left.B, the wrapper processes the literal left channel first and allocates a scalar deep sample array for it, then reuses that same array as the coalesced destination for the prefixed RGB group. The deep reader registers sample slices with an RGB stride (three lanes) into storage that was allocated with scalar shape, so decoding the deep samples writes past the allocation. Opening such a file through the default public Python API, OpenEXR.File(path), causes a heap buffer overflow during normal deep sample decode, leading to memory corruption and a crash. This issue is fixed in versions 3.3.13 and 3.4.14.

Affected packages & fixed versions

EcosystemPackageFixed inAdvisory
Alpine:v3.24openexr3.4.15-r0ALPINE-CVE-2026-68514
Debian:14openexr3.4.14-0.1DEBIAN-CVE-2026-68514
Ubuntu:26.10openexrno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2026-68514

Affected products (as reported)

VendorProductVersions
AcademySoftwareFoundation openexr >= 3.3.0, < 3.3.13>= 3.4.0, < 3.4.14

Weakness: CWE-122, CWE-787 · Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

References