CVE-2026-55373
CVE-2026-55373 — OpenEXR: OpenEXRUtil SampleCountChannel endEdit() can loop forever on UINT_MAX sample counts
OpenEXR is the reference implementation and specification for the EXR image format, widely used in the motion picture industry. Versions prior to 3.2.10, 3.3.12, and 3.4.13 contain an infinite-loop vulnerability in SampleCountChannel. The helper roundListSizeUp() rounds a sample-list size up to the next power of two using repeated unsigned left shifts, which terminates for normal values but fails for UINT_MAX: the sequence reaches 0x80000000, and the next left shift wraps the 32-bit value to 0. Because 0 remains less than UINT_MAX, the loop never progresses and never exits. The bug is reachable through public OpenEXRUtil APIs, either by editing the sample-count buffer through SampleCountChannel::Edit (whose destructor calls endEdit()) or by calling SampleCountChannel::set(x, y, UINT_MAX) on a valid pixel. This issue has been fixed in versions 3.2.10, 3.3.12, and 3.4.13.
Published Updated Sources: NVD, AcademySoftwareFoundation (CNA), GitHub, SOCRadar CTI
Triage
Is it exploited, how likely is exploitation, what does it touch, and how severe do the scoring sources call it.
Exploitation
Exploit code
public exploit, none observed
EPSS
0%
ahead of 0% of scored CVEs
CVSS base
6.2
medium
Remediation
The vendor's own words where we have them.
Upgrade openexr to a fixed release. Apply vendor patches per advisory and restrict external exposure of the affected component until patched.
First 24 hours
Ordered from the record's own fields — exposure first, because you cannot patch what you have not found.
- Identify exposed assets running affected vendor/product/version combinations.
- Prioritize based on EPSS, PoC availability, and external exposure.
- Search available logs for exploit probes, errors, authentication anomalies, or suspicious child processes matching the vulnerability class.
Affected scope
Vendor, product and version as the advisories word them.
| Vendor | Product | Versions | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| AcademySoftwareFoundation | openexr | < 3.2.10 | Vulnerable |
| AcademySoftwareFoundation | openexr | >= 3.3.0, < 3.3.12 | Vulnerable |
| AcademySoftwareFoundation | openexr | >= 3.4.0, < 3.4.13 | Vulnerable |
Attack characteristics
The CVSS vector, decoded. It describes the attack, not your exposure to it.
Availability
High
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
None
Scope
Unchanged
Attack Complexity
Low
Attack Vector
Local
Privileges Req
None
User Interaction
None
Every base score collected
Sources score independently and disagree; each row says who scored it and under which version.
| Score | Version | Severity | Expl. | Impact | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6.2 | CVSS 3.1 | medium | 2.5 | 3.6 | GitHub (CNA), AcademySoftwareFoundation (CNA) |
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
What this weakness leads to
MITRE's own consequences and mitigations for the weakness class — the authority's wording, not guidance derived from the CVSS vector.
CWE-400 · Uncontrolled Resource Consumption
- DoS: Crash, Exit, or Restart
- DoS: Resource Consumption (CPU)
- DoS: Resource Consumption (Memory)
- DoS: Resource Consumption (Other)
Mitigation: Design throttling mechanisms into the system architecture. The best protection is to limit the amount of resources that an unauthorized user can cause to be expended. A strong authentication and access control model will help prevent such attacks from occurring in the first place. The login application should be protected against DoS attacks as much as possible. Limiting the database access, perhaps by caching result sets, can help minimize the resources expended. To further limit the potential for a DoS attack, consider tracking the rate of requests received from users and blocking requests that exceed a defined rate threshold.
CWE-835 · Loop with Unreachable Exit Condition ('Infinite Loop')
- DoS: Resource Consumption (CPU)
- DoS: Resource Consumption (Memory)
- DoS: Amplification
Weakness & attack patterns
- CWE-190Integer Overflow or Wraparound
- CWE-400Uncontrolled Resource Consumption
- CWE-835
Attack patterns reported against this CVE. The ATT&CK techniques below are inferred from its weakness class.
- T1499Endpoint Denial of Service
Public exploit
Capability, not use: code existing is a different claim from anyone running it.
Repositories
1
Detection
Read off the CVSS vector and the weakness class. Starting points, not rules we have tested.
- Monitor for scanner or exploit-pattern traffic after 1 public PoC repositories were reported.
Timeline
What happened to this CVE, newest first — with the readings a source repeats on a schedule counted underneath rather than listed.
- 2026
Added · CVSS 3.1 6.2 (AV:L)
Aug 25, 2026 · NVD
Initial · CVE published
Aug 25, 2026 · NVD
References
1 on the record
- github.com/AcademySoftwareFoundation/openexr/security/advisories/GHSA-mff9-68x3-h8rh
Exploit, Third Party Advisory, Mitre
Elsewhere on this site
- AcademySoftwareFoundationevery CVE for this vendor
- Memory Corruptionsame class
- CWE-190other pages naming this weakness
Not in any source we poll
Listed rather than left blank: an empty field and an unmeasured one look identical on screen, and only one is a reason to look elsewhere.
- No confirmed IOCs, IP addresses, domains, file hashes, or malware artifacts supplied.
- No organization-specific asset inventory, compensating-control status, or patch deployment evidence supplied.
- No exploit packet captures, log samples, or incident case IDs supplied.
Answered from this record1
What should defenders know first?
CVE-2026-55373 is OpenEXR: OpenEXRUtil SampleCountChannel endEdit() can loop forever on UINT_MAX sample counts, a medium vulnerability affecting openexr from AcademySoftwareFoundation. The current evidence does not list it in CISA KEV, and the exploit status is: Active exploitation is not confirmed from current sources for CVE-2026-55373. Public exploit evidence is: 1 public PoC repositories reported; 0 marked weaponized in current dataset. The affected-version evidence is listed in the key facts and affected products tables. Defenders should first verify whether exposed or business-critical assets run those versions, then apply vendor patches or mitigations, restrict reachable attack surface, and preserve logs for detection review. CVSS 6.2 describes technical severity, while EPSS 0% helps estimate near-term exploit likelihood; neither replaces asset context. Unknown fields should remain explicit in tickets, and threat actor, IOC, victimology, or payload claims should not be added unless a cited source supports them. Monitor CISA KEV, vendor advisories, NVD changes, public PoC repositories, and internal telemetry for update triggers.