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CVE Record

CVE-2021-45942: OpenEXR 3.1.x before 3.1.4 has a heap-based buffer overflow in Imf_3_1::LineCompositeTask::execute (called...

OpenEXR 3.1.x before 3.1.4 has a heap-based buffer overflow in Imf_3_1::LineCompositeTask::execute (called from IlmThread_3_1::NullThreadPoolProvider::addTask and IlmThread_3_1::ThreadPool::addGlobalTask). NOTE: db217f2 may be inapplicable.

UnknownCVSS not scoredNot KEV-listedUpdated
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Glexia's TakeAutomated analysisunknown

Security readout for executives and security teams

Plain-English summary

OpenEXR 3.1.x before 3.1.4 had a heap-based buffer overflow while processing image data. For an organization, the concern is software or services that parse EXR files, especially untrusted uploads. The provided sources identify a fixed upstream release and Linux distribution updates, but do not provide a CVSS score.

Executive priority

Prioritize as a dependency remediation item for systems that process untrusted media. Business urgency is higher for public upload, rendering, or content-production pipelines; lower for isolated systems without EXR parsing.

Technical view

The flaw is in Imf_3_1::LineCompositeTask::execute, reached through OpenEXR thread task handling. It affects OpenEXR 3.1.x before 3.1.4. The CVE notes that commit db217f2 may be inapplicable, so remediation should key off vendor package guidance or confirmed 3.1.4-or-later upstream code.

Likely exposure

Exposure is most likely in render, media, image-processing, asset-management, or upload workflows that use OpenEXR 3.1.x to parse EXR files. The bundle does not identify specific downstream applications beyond OpenEXR packages.

Exploitation context

The provided bundle does not show active exploitation, and KEV is false. OSS-Fuzz and upstream references indicate a fuzz-discovered memory corruption issue, which matters most where attackers can supply EXR files to vulnerable parsers.

Researcher notes

Evidence supports OpenEXR 3.1.x before 3.1.4 and a heap overflow in LineCompositeTask::execute. The CVE explicitly warns one referenced commit may be inapplicable, so validate fixes against the 3.1.4 release notes or distribution advisories.

Mitigation direction

  • Upgrade OpenEXR to 3.1.4 or a vendor-fixed package version.
  • Apply Fedora, Debian, Gentoo, or other OS package security updates where applicable.
  • Inventory applications and containers that bundle OpenEXR separately from OS packages.
  • Restrict untrusted EXR file processing until affected versions are remediated.

Validation and detection

  • Confirm installed OpenEXR versions are not 3.1.x before 3.1.4.
  • Check package manager advisories for backported fixes on maintained distributions.
  • Review SBOMs and container images for embedded OpenEXR libraries.
  • Verify exposed upload or render paths do not use vulnerable OpenEXR builds.
Prepared
Confidence
medium
Sources
12

Public sources used

Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.

Potential ATT&CK relevance

Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context

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Vulnerability profileCVE Program record
Severity
Unknown
CVSS
Not scored
Known Exploited
No
Published
Official CVE source material

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.

0CVSS vectors
0Timeline events
0ADP providers
14Source links

CVSS and timeline data

No CVSS vectors or timeline events were available in the normalized CVE source material.

Source materials

Affected products

Products and packages named in the record

VendorProductVersion / packageStatus
n/an/an/aListed
Weakness

CWE details

No CWE listed

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