CVE-2020-36281Network attack vector

Application crash via incorrect quantized pixel depth

Published Mar 12, 2021 · Updated Aug 4, 2024

Heap buffer over-read in Leptonica before 1.80.0 allows attackers to crash applications that process a crafted RGB image. The pixFewColorsOctcubeQuantMixed function uses quantizer output without first converting the image to 8 bpp, then adds colors under an invalid pixel-depth assumption and reads beyond the heap buffer. Reachability requires a consuming application to pass attacker-influenced 32 bpp RGB image data to this API; no code execution or data modification is established.

CVSS severity7.5
High
EPSS probability2.87%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Heap buffer over-read in Leptonica before 1.80.0 allows attackers to crash applications that process a crafted RGB image. The pixFewColorsOctcubeQuantMixed function uses quantizer output without first converting the image to 8 bpp, then adds colors under an invalid pixel-depth assumption and reads beyond the heap buffer. Reachability requires a consuming application to pass attacker-influenced 32 bpp RGB image data to this API; no code execution or data modification is established.

The record

CVE
CVE-2020-36281
Published
Mar 12, 2021
Updated
Aug 4, 2024
Vendor
Unknown vendor
Product
Unknown product
Classifications
CWE-125, CAPEC-540
Attack vector
network
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Mar 12, 2021CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 4, 2024Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Affected buildAffected product and version details are unavailable.

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

Affected products and versions are unavailable in this record.

Published CVSS scores

7.5NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

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No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectornetwork
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-125Out-of-bounds Read
CAPEC-540Overread Buffers

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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