CVE-2021-20298

Name: CVE-2021-20298
Creator: NVD / NIST
Published: 2022-08-23T16:15:09.02+00:00
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

HIGHCVSS 7.5/10EPSS 1.22%

Last modified Jun 17, 2026

CVE-2021-20298 is a high-severity vulnerability rated 7.5/10 on the CVSS scale. A flaw was found in OpenEXR's B44Compressor. This flaw allows an attacker who can submit a crafted file to be processed by OpenEXR, to exhaust all memory accessible to the application. EPSS estimates a 1.22% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

A flaw was found in OpenEXR's B44Compressor. This flaw allows an attacker who can submit a crafted file to be processed by OpenEXR, to exhaust all memory accessible to the application. The highest threat from this vulnerability is to system availability.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

7.5/10

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

EPSS Probability

1.22%

65.0th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Openexr	Openexr	<= 2.5.7
Debian	Debian Linux	10.0

References

https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2021-20298Third Party Advisory
https://bugs.chromium.org/p/oss-fuzz/issues/detail?id=25913Mailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1939156Issue Tracking, Third Party Advisory
https://github.com/AcademySoftwareFoundation/openexr/commit/85fd638ae0d5fa132434f4cbf32590261c1dba97Patch, Third Party Advisory
https://github.com/AcademySoftwareFoundation/openexr/pull/843Patch, Third Party Advisory
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2022/12/msg00022.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2021-20298Third Party Advisory
https://bugs.chromium.org/p/oss-fuzz/issues/detail?id=25913Mailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1939156Issue Tracking, Third Party Advisory
https://github.com/AcademySoftwareFoundation/openexr/commit/85fd638ae0d5fa132434f4cbf32590261c1dba97Patch, Third Party Advisory
https://github.com/AcademySoftwareFoundation/openexr/pull/843Patch, Third Party Advisory
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2022/12/msg00022.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory

Timeline

Published: Aug 23, 2022
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2021-20298?

How severe is CVE-2021-20298?

CVE-2021-20298 has a CVSS score of 7.5/10 (HIGH severity). The EPSS model estimates a 1.22% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2021-20298?

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-2021-20298?

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

Scan your code now

Source: NVD / NIST