How severe is CVE-2019-20421?

CVE-2019-20421 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.5, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.

Is CVE-2019-20421 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 4% (90th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2019-20421?

CVE-2019-20421 primarily affects Exiv2. In total, 6 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2019-20421?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.

When was CVE-2019-20421 published?

CVE-2019-20421 was published on 2020-01-27 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2019-20421

CVE-2019-20421 is a high-severity vulnerability in Exiv2 with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.5. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-835.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.5)
CVSS v2: 7.8
EPSS exploit prediction: 4% (90th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-835
Affected product: Exiv2
Published: 2020-01-27
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

In Jp2Image::readMetadata() in jp2image.cpp in Exiv2 0.27.2, an input file can result in an infinite loop and hang, with high CPU consumption. Remote attackers could leverage this vulnerability to cause a denial of service via a crafted file.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2019-20421?: In Jp2Image::readMetadata() in jp2image.cpp in Exiv2 0.27.2, an input file can result in an infinite loop and hang, with high CPU consumption. Remote attackers could leverage this vulnerability to cause a denial of service via a crafted file.
How severe is CVE-2019-20421?: CVE-2019-20421 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.5, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.
Is CVE-2019-20421 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 4% (90th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2019-20421?: CVE-2019-20421 primarily affects Exiv2. In total, 6 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2019-20421?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2019-20421 published?: CVE-2019-20421 was published on 2020-01-27 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (6)

cpe:2.3:a:exiv2:exiv2:0.27.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:16.04:*:*:*:lts:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:18.04:*:*:*:lts:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:19.10:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:9.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:10.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

More vulnerabilities in Exiv2

CVE-2025-26623 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): Exiv2 is a C++ library and a command-line utility to read, write, delete and modify Exif, IPTC, XMP and ICC image…
CVE-2018-11531 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): Exiv2 0.26 has a heap-based buffer overflow in getData in preview.cpp.
CVE-2023-44398 — High (CVSS 8.8): Exiv2 is a C++ library and a command-line utility to read, write, delete and modify Exif, IPTC, XMP and ICC image…
CVE-2019-9144 — High (CVSS 8.8): An issue was discovered in Exiv2 0.27. There is infinite recursion at BigTiffImage::printIFD in the file…
CVE-2019-9143 — High (CVSS 8.8): An issue was discovered in Exiv2 0.27. There is infinite recursion at Exiv2::Image::printTiffStructure in the file…
CVE-2018-14046 — High (CVSS 8.8): Exiv2 0.26 has a heap-based buffer over-read in WebPImage::decodeChunks in webpimage.cpp.

All CVEs affecting Exiv2 →

Other CWE-835 (Loop with Unreachable Exit Condition (Infinite Loop)) vulnerabilities

CVE-2026-24816 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Loop with Unreachable Exit Condition ('Infinite Loop') vulnerability in datavane tis…
CVE-2018-20784 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): In the Linux kernel before 4.20.2, kernel/sched/fair.c mishandles leaf cfs_rq's, which allows attackers to cause a…
CVE-2017-12997 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): The LLDP parser in tcpdump before 4.9.2 could enter an infinite loop due to a bug in…
CVE-2017-12995 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): The DNS parser in tcpdump before 4.9.2 could enter an infinite loop due to a bug in print-domain.c:ns_print().
CVE-2017-12990 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): The ISAKMP parser in tcpdump before 4.9.2 could enter an infinite loop due to bugs in print-isakmp.c, several functions.
CVE-2026-31448 — Critical (CVSS 9.4): In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ext4: avoid infinite loops caused by residual…

Browse all CWE-835 (Loop with Unreachable Exit Condition (Infinite Loop)) vulnerabilities →