Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
OpenCV 3.3 can write outside expected memory while reading a crafted image through cv::imread. Organizations using OpenCV to process untrusted images should treat this as a memory-safety risk, especially in upload, scanning, or analytics pipelines.
Executive priority
Address this on systems that process external images. It is not KEV-listed and severity data is incomplete, but memory corruption in file parsers can become operationally important when exposed to untrusted content.
Technical view
The reported flaw is an out-of-bounds write in FillColorRow1 in utils.cpp during image loading via cv::imread. The CVE notes it resulted from an incomplete fix for CVE-2017-12597. The bundle does not provide CVSS, CWE, or complete affected-version data beyond OpenCV 3.3.
Likely exposure
Exposure is most likely where applications or services use OpenCV 3.3 to read images from users, partners, crawlers, email attachments, or shared storage. Systems processing only trusted local images have lower practical exposure.
Exploitation context
The bundle lists a public PoC reference, but does not provide evidence of active exploitation. CISA KEV status is false. Risk depends on whether attackers can supply image files to OpenCV-based processing paths.
Researcher notes
Do not assume all OpenCV versions or downstream products are affected from this bundle alone. Confirm exact library versions, distro backports, and whether cv::imread reaches attacker-controlled files. The CVE ties this issue to an incomplete CVE-2017-12597 fix.
Mitigation direction
- Upgrade OpenCV using vendor or distribution security guidance.
- Prioritize internet-facing or multi-tenant image ingestion services.
- Restrict untrusted image uploads where feasible until patched.
- Run image-processing workloads with least privilege and isolation.
- Check Debian and Gentoo advisories for packaged fixed versions.
Validation and detection
- Inventory applications and containers using OpenCV 3.3.
- Identify code paths calling cv::imread on untrusted files.
- Confirm installed packages include vendor security updates.
- Regression test image workflows after upgrading OpenCV.
- Review monitoring for crashes in image-processing services.
Public sources used
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.
CVE-2017-14136 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- Unknown
- CVSS
- Not scored
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
CVSS and timeline data
No CVSS vectors or timeline events were available in the normalized CVE source material.
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- [debian-lts-announce] 20180722 [SECURITY] [DLA 1438-1] opencv security updateCVE reference · mailing-list, x_refsource_MLIST
- GLSA-201712-02CVE reference · vendor-advisory, x_refsource_GENTOO
- https://github.com/xiaoqx/pocs/blob/master/opencv.mdCVE reference · x_refsource_MISC
- https://github.com/opencv/opencv/pull/9448CVE reference · x_refsource_MISC
- https://github.com/opencv/opencv/issues/9443CVE reference · x_refsource_MISC
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.