NULL pointer dereference in OpenEXR
Priority LOW 36CWE-476Published · Updated
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Network
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- Denial of service
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- None · None · High
- Fix status
- Deferred Red Hat: fix deferred
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · NVD. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat. Impact type from CWE-476.
Summary
A flaw was found in OpenEXR's Multipart input file functionality. A crafted multi-part input file with no actual parts can trigger a NULL pointer dereference. The highest threat from this vulnerability is to system availability.
Why it matters now
EPSS 0.01767 78th percentileScored 2026-11-07
Fix Deferred Red Hat: fix deferred
SSVC decision points
Not available: CISA has not published SSVC decision points for this record.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | OpenEXR | Affected before v2.5.4 | — | No fix listed | CNA |
- OpenEXR Vendor— Affected Affected before v2.5.4 Fixed in — No fix listed CNA
CPE configurations NVD · 2
| CPE | Versions | Role | Vendor |
|---|---|---|---|
| cpe:2.3:a:openexr:openexr:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | before 2.5.4 | Vulnerable | Academy Software Foundation |
| cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:10.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 10.0 | Vulnerable | Debian |
- cpe:2.3:a:openexr:openexr:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions before 2.5.4 Vulnerable ·Academy Software Foundation
- cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:10.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 10.0 Vulnerable ·Debian
Remediation
No fixed version listed by the sources yet.
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Low. Red Hat's page for this CVE →
| Product | Status | Plan or fix |
|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 | Affected | No fix planned: Out of support scope |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 | Affected | No fix planned: Out of support scope |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2021-20299
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-xq9j-995w-vvw2
References
Patch 3
Sources
- CVE-2021-20299 · CVE Program
- CVE-2021-20299 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-xq9j-995w-vvw2 · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2021-20299 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences