CVE-2021-20296

Name: CVE-2021-20296
Creator: NVD / NIST
Published: 2021-04-01T14:15:13.31+00:00
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

MEDIUMCVSS 5.3/10EPSS 1.75%

Last modified Jun 17, 2026

CVE-2021-20296 is a medium-severity vulnerability rated 5.3/10 on the CVSS scale. A flaw was found in OpenEXR in versions before 3.0.0-beta. A crafted input file supplied by an attacker, that is processed by the Dwa decompression functionality of OpenEXR's IlmImf library, could cause a NULL pointer dereference. EPSS estimates a 1.75% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

A flaw was found in OpenEXR in versions before 3.0.0-beta. A crafted input file supplied by an attacker, that is processed by the Dwa decompression functionality of OpenEXR's IlmImf library, could cause a NULL pointer dereference. The highest threat from this vulnerability is to system availability.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

5.3/10

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L

EPSS Probability

1.75%

74.9th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

CWE-476

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Openexr	Openexr	< 2.4.3
Openexr	Openexr	>= 2.5.0, < 2.5.4
Debian	Debian Linux	9.0
Debian	Debian Linux	10.0

References

https://bugs.chromium.org/p/oss-fuzz/issues/detail?id=24854Issue Tracking, Mailing List, Patch, Third Party Advisory
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1939141Issue Tracking, Patch, Third Party Advisory
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2021/07/msg00001.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2022/12/msg00022.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202107-27Third Party Advisory
https://bugs.chromium.org/p/oss-fuzz/issues/detail?id=24854Issue Tracking, Mailing List, Patch, Third Party Advisory
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1939141Issue Tracking, Patch, Third Party Advisory
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2021/07/msg00001.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2022/12/msg00022.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202107-27Third Party Advisory

Timeline

Published: Apr 1, 2021
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2021-20296?

How severe is CVE-2021-20296?

CVE-2021-20296 has a CVSS score of 5.3/10 (MEDIUM severity). The EPSS model estimates a 1.75% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2021-20296?

Check the vendor references and advisories linked above for patched versions and mitigation guidance. You can also run a Strix scan to test if your systems are affected.

Are you affected by CVE-2021-20296?

Run a free Strix scan to check your systems for this vulnerability.

Scan your code now

Source: NVD / NIST