CVE-2026-59981: academysoftwarefoundation openexr Out-of-bounds Read

Vulnerability summary

CVE-2026-59981 is a high (CVSS 7.1) Out-of-bounds Read vulnerability in academysoftwarefoundation openexr. EPSS estimates a 0.32% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 23.1% of scored vulnerabilities.

Timeline

1. 25-08-2026
   PublishedVulnerability first disclosed.
2. 28-08-2026
   Last modifiedVulnerability information updated.

Description

OpenEXR is the reference implementation and specification for the EXR image file format, widely used in the motion picture industry. In versions through 3.2.10, 3.3.0 through 3.3.12, and 3.4.0 through 3.4.13, the OpenEXRUtil library returns an out-of-bounds pointer from the SampleCountChannel::row() API when a deep image has a non-zero dataWindow origin. The row() accessor is documented as 0-based and computes its address from an internal base that is offset for absolute pixel coordinates, so the two coordinate models conflict whenever dataWindow.min is non-zero. For a deep image whose data window has a large negative vertical origin, row(0) points far outside the allocated sample-count buffer. An application that opens an attacker-controlled deep EXR file and accesses sample counts through row() performs an out-of-bounds read, which can crash the process or, under a controlled heap layout, return adjacent heap memory as sample-count values. This issue is fixed in versions 3.2.11, 3.3.13, and 3.4.14.

• CWE-125Out-of-bounds ReadThe product reads data past the end, or before the beginning, of the intended buffer.