---
id: CVE-2026-59981
title: >-
  OpenEXR is the reference implementation and specification for the EXR image
  file format, widely used in the motion picture industry
summary: >-
  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 retu…
severity: high
cvss: 7.1
cvssVector: 'CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:H'
cwe:
  - CWE-125
published: '2026-08-25'
updated: '2026-09-09'
sourceUpdated: '2026-09-09T21:07:31.353'
source: NVD
sourceUrl: 'https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-59981'
references:
  - url: >-
      https://github.com/AcademySoftwareFoundation/openexr/commit/37f03b6ed90f3dd9910f31de3a40f25f2bc2aca1
    label: security-advisories@github.com
  - url: >-
      https://github.com/AcademySoftwareFoundation/openexr/commit/55b7958ecb5ac32c427ff39c1e063f6f7bbee77c
    label: security-advisories@github.com
  - url: >-
      https://github.com/AcademySoftwareFoundation/openexr/commit/aef02224ba282a802de65d16c49c1cdb82089dec
    label: security-advisories@github.com
  - url: >-
      https://github.com/AcademySoftwareFoundation/openexr/security/advisories/GHSA-m799-ffc3-8pxc
    label: security-advisories@github.com
  - url: >-
      https://github.com/AcademySoftwareFoundation/openexr/security/advisories/GHSA-m799-ffc3-8pxc
    label: 134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0
  - url: >-
      https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2026/cve-2026-59981.json
  - url: 'https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-59981'
  - url: 'https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2523752'
  - url: 'https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-59981'
  - url: 'https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-59981'
tags:
  - nvd
  - csaf
  - vex
  - red-hat
epss: 0.00423
epssPercentile: 0.33943
ingestedAt: '2026-08-29T21:42:33.805Z'
vendor: Red Hat
product: Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10
affected:
  - enterprise_linux 10
  - enterprise_linux 8
  - enterprise_linux 9
---

## Overview

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.

## Remediation

Refer to the linked advisories for vendor-supplied fixes and affected version ranges.

## Vendor advisories

- **Red Hat VEX** · Important · affected: Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 · no fix planned: Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 · updated 2026-09-19 · [vex](https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2026/cve-2026-59981.json)