CVE-2026-68516: OpenEXR: HTJ2K SIZ image-offset gap stack buffer overflow

Published Aug 24, 2026
·
Updated

OpenEXR is the reference implementation and specification for the EXR image format, widely used in the motion picture industry. From version 3.4.0 through 3.4.13, a crafted HTJ2K-compressed EXR can crash OpenEXR during normal decode. An HTJ2K-compressed EXR whose JPEG 2000 SIZ fields place the first tile outside the visible image can reach invalid tile and codeblock geometry in the vendored OpenJPH AVX2 decoder, causing a stack out-of-bounds write and denial of service. OpenEXR's HTJ2K path validates the decoded codestream dimensions against the EXR chunk size, but it does not reject SIZ image-offset/tile-grid geometry where the first tile does not intersect the image. This issue is fixed in version 3.4.14.

Affected Software

2 affected components
OpenEXR OpenEXR>=3.4.0<=3.4.13
OpenEXR OpenEXR=3.4.14

Remediation

Recommended actions to resolve this vulnerability, in priority order.

  1. Upgrade

    Upgrade OpenEXR to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 3.4.14

Event History

Aug 24, 2026
CVE Published
via MITRE·10:08 PM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·10:08 PM
DescriptionSeverityWeakness
Data Sourced
via NVD·10:17 PM
DescriptionSeverityWeakness

Frequently Asked Questions

1

Which deployments are affected?

OpenEXR versions 3.4.0 through 3.4.13 are affected when they decode HTJ2K-compressed EXR content. Deployments that do not process such files are not described as reaching the vulnerable path.

2

What does an attacker need to do to trigger the issue?

An attacker needs to provide a crafted HTJ2K-compressed EXR file with JPEG 2000 SIZ fields that place the first tile outside the visible image. User interaction is required to cause the vulnerable application to decode the file.

3

What is the practical impact?

The malformed file can cause a stack out-of-bounds write in the vendored OpenJPH AVX2 decoder during decoding, resulting in a crash and denial of service. The provided information does not claim confidentiality or integrity impact.

4

How should affected systems be remediated?

Upgrade OpenEXR to version 3.4.14, which fixes the issue. If upgrading cannot happen immediately, avoid decoding untrusted HTJ2K-compressed EXR files.

Contact

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