CVE-2021-20299Network attack vector

Process crash via headerless multipart EXR file

Published Mar 16, 2022 · Updated Aug 3, 2024

NULL pointer dereference in OpenEXR before 2.5.4 allows attackers to crash an application with a multipart EXR file containing no parts. MultiPartInputFile::initialize accepts an empty _headers vector and continues without rejecting the missing part header, leaving later header handling to dereference a null pointer. Any process that passes an untrusted multipart EXR file into the library can terminate; no confidentiality or integrity impact is reported.

CVSS severity7.5
High
EPSS probability1.77%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

NULL pointer dereference in OpenEXR before 2.5.4 allows attackers to crash an application with a multipart EXR file containing no parts. MultiPartInputFile::initialize accepts an empty _headers vector and continues without rejecting the missing part header, leaving later header handling to dereference a null pointer. Any process that passes an untrusted multipart EXR file into the library can terminate; no confidentiality or integrity impact is reported.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-20299
Published
Mar 16, 2022
Updated
Aug 3, 2024
Vendor
Academy Software Foundation
Product
OpenEXR
Classifications
CWE-476
Attack vector
network
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Mar 16, 2022CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 3, 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?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=Affected before v2.5.4

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

Academy Software Foundation · OpenEXRversion=Affected before v2.5.4

Published CVSS scores

7.5NISTCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
5.8NISTAV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:N/I:N/A:P

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 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectornetwork
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-476NULL Pointer Dereference

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

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Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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