CVE-2021-3479

Memory exhaustion via absent-channel buffer allocation

Published Mar 31, 2021 · Updated Aug 3, 2024

Uncontrolled resource consumption in OpenEXR before 3.0.0-beta allows attackers to exhaust memory through a crafted EXR file. InputFile::setFrameBuffer allocates a tile-row cache for every requested channel, including fill channels absent from the image. Processing the file through the Scanline API is required, and the resulting allocation pressure can terminate or stall the consuming application.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.96%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Uncontrolled resource consumption in OpenEXR before 3.0.0-beta allows attackers to exhaust memory through a crafted EXR file. InputFile::setFrameBuffer allocates a tile-row cache for every requested channel, including fill channels absent from the image. Processing the file through the Scanline API is required, and the resulting allocation pressure can terminate or stall the consuming application.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-3479
Published
Mar 31, 2021
Updated
Aug 3, 2024
Vendor
Academy Software Foundation
Product
OpenEXR
Classifications
CWE-400, T1499.004
Attack vector
local
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Mar 31, 2021CVE 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=OpenEXR 3.0.0-beta

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

Academy Software Foundation · OpenEXRversion=OpenEXR 3.0.0-beta

Published CVSS scores

7.5SUSECVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
4.3NIST NVDAV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:N/I:N/A:P
5.5NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/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 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-400Uncontrolled Resource Consumption
T1499.004Application or System Exploitation

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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