What is CVE-2026-59181?

CVE-2026-59181 is OpenImageIO: Stack buffer overflow in OpenImageIO Cineon reader via unchecked numberOfElements. The supplied enrichment data classifies it as Memory Corruption mapped to CWE-121 Stack-based Buffer Overflow; CWE-787 Out-of-bounds Write.

Which versions are affected?

Affected product and version evidence is listed in the product table above. Current public advisories should be checked for exact version scope before patch targeting is finalized.

Is there active exploitation?

Active exploitation is not confirmed from current sources for CVE-2026-59181. If exploitation is not confirmed from current sources, teams should document that status and continue monitoring KEV, vendor, and telemetry updates.

No. CVE-2026-59181 is not listed in CISA KEV in the supplied enrichment data. KEV status should be monitored because it can change after initial disclosure or after exploitation becomes publicly confirmed.

Is there a public exploit?

A public PoC is not confirmed from current sources for CVE-2026-59181. Public exploit or PoC availability should raise triage priority, especially for exposed or business-critical systems.

How can defenders detect it?

Start with Not reported where available. Look for vulnerability-class behavior, product errors, suspicious authentication events, exploit probes, and abnormal process activity based only on evidence that applies to the affected product.

How should teams prioritize it?

Prioritize CVE-2026-59181 using CVSS 6.1, EPSS 0%, KEV status, public PoC status, and asset exposure. Internet-facing, privileged, or business-critical deployments should be handled first.

Are workarounds available?

The supplied mitigation guidance says to apply vendor patches and restrict external exposure until fixed. Fixed-version evidence is listed in the mitigation section above.

Which threat actors are linked publicly?

No public threat actor linkage is confirmed from current sources. Do not attribute exploitation to a threat actor unless the source evidence explicitly supports that linkage.

What should be done in the next 24 hours?

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. Open remediation tickets with affected assets, owners, evidence status, and detection coverage so decisions are traceable.

mediumMemory Corruption

CVE-2026-59181

CVE-2026-59181 — OpenImageIO: Stack buffer overflow in OpenImageIO Cineon reader via unchecked numberOfElements

OpenImageIO is a toolset for reading, writing, and manipulating image files of any image file format relevant to VFX / animation. Prior to 3.0.20.0, 3.1.15.0, and 3.2.0.3-beta1, A crafted cineon file can supply a numberofelements value greater than the format maximum of eight. cineoninput::open() uses that unchecked value as the loop bound while filling the fixed strings[8] array, writing pointers beyond the stack buffer and into adjacent state, resulting in memory corruption and denial of service. The affected implementation is identified by src/cineon.imageio/cineoninput.cpp, CineonInput::open(), numberOfElements, and strings[8], which define the relevant source path, functions, state, and trigger. This issue is fixed in versions 3.0.20.0, 3.1.15.0, and 3.2.0.3-beta1.

Published Sep 18, 2026Updated Sep 18, 2026Sources: 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

Unreported

no source claims exploitation

EPSS

ahead of 0% of scored CVEs

Affects

AcademySoftwareFoundation

3 products listed

CVSS base

6.1

medium

Remediation

The vendor's own words where we have them.

Upgrade OpenImageIO 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	OpenImageIO	< 3.0.20.0	Vulnerable
AcademySoftwareFoundation	OpenImageIO	>= 3.1.0.0, < 3.1.15.0	Vulnerable
AcademySoftwareFoundation	OpenImageIO	>= 3.2.0.0-dev, < 3.2.0.3-beta1	Vulnerable

Attack characteristics

The CVSS vector, decoded. It describes the attack, not your exposure to it.

Availability

High

Confidentiality

None

Integrity

Low

Scope

Unchanged

Attack Complexity

Low

Attack Vector

Local

Privileges Req

None

User Interaction

Required

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
6.1	CVSS 3.1	medium	1.8	4.2	GitHub (CNA), AcademySoftwareFoundation (CNA)

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

MITRE

CWE-121 · Stack-based Buffer Overflow

Modify Memory
DoS: Crash, Exit, or Restart
DoS: Resource Consumption (CPU)
DoS: Resource Consumption (Memory)

Mitigation: Run or compile the software using features or extensions that automatically provide a protection mechanism that mitigates or eliminates buffer overflows. For example, certain compilers and extensions provide automatic buffer overflow detection mechanisms that are built into the compiled code. Examples include the Microsoft Visual Studio /GS flag, Fedora/Red Hat FORTIFY_SOURCE GCC flag, StackGuard, and ProPolice.

CWE-787 · Out-of-bounds Write

Modify Memory
DoS: Crash, Exit, or Restart
Execute Unauthorized Code or Commands::

Mitigation: Use a language that does not allow this weakness to occur or provides constructs that make this weakness easier to avoid. For example, many languages that perform their own memory management, such as Java and Perl, are not subject to buffer overflows. Other languages, such as Ada and C#, typically provide overflow protection, but the protection can be disabled by the programmer. Be wary that a language's interface to native code may still be subject to overflows, even if the language itself is theoretically safe.

Weakness & attack patterns

CWE-121Stack-based Buffer Overflow
CWE-787Out-of-bounds Write

Inferred from the weakness class — not observed against this CVE.

CAPEC-100 · Overflow BuffersCAPEC-123 · Buffer Manipulation

Detection

Read off the CVSS vector and the weakness class. Starting points, not rules we have tested.

Search application, proxy, and WAF logs for requests touching /cineon.imageio/cineoninput.cpp.

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 6.1 (AV:L)
Sep 18, 2026 · NVD
Initial · CVE published
Sep 18, 2026 · NVD
CVE published by MITRE.
Sep 18, 2026 · SOCRadar CTI

References

5 on the record

github.com/AcademySoftwareFoundation/OpenImageIO/commit/908f22f5528e88e5e96184c194caa26b54b2b85f
Exploit, Third Party Advisory, Mitre
github.com/AcademySoftwareFoundation/OpenImageIO/pull/5250
Exploit, Third Party Advisory, Mitre
github.com/AcademySoftwareFoundation/OpenImageIO/releases/tag/v3.0.20.0
Exploit, Third Party Advisory, Mitre
github.com/AcademySoftwareFoundation/OpenImageIO/releases/tag/v3.1.15.0
Exploit, Third Party Advisory, Mitre
github.com/AcademySoftwareFoundation/OpenImageIO/security/advisories/GHSA-xh8r-vmqq-56pp
Exploit, Third Party Advisory, Mitre

Elsewhere on this site

AcademySoftwareFoundationevery CVE for this vendor
Memory Corruptionsame class
CWE-121other 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-2026-59181 is OpenImageIO: Stack buffer overflow in OpenImageIO Cineon reader via unchecked numberOfElements, a medium vulnerability affecting OpenImageIO 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-2026-59181. Public exploit evidence is: A public PoC is not confirmed from current sources for CVE-2026-59181. 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 6.1 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.