How severe is CVE-2021-3478?

CVE-2021-3478 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.5, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.

Is CVE-2021-3478 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (57th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2021-3478?

CVE-2021-3478 primarily affects Openexr. In total, 3 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2021-3478?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.

When was CVE-2021-3478 published?

CVE-2021-3478 was published on 2021-03-31 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2021-3478

CVE-2021-3478 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Openexr with a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.5. 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-400.

Key facts

Severity: Medium (CVSS 3.x base score 5.5)
CVSS v2: 4.3
EPSS exploit prediction: 1% (57th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-400
Affected product: Openexr
Published: 2021-03-31
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

There's a flaw in OpenEXR's scanline input file functionality in versions before 3.0.0-beta. An attacker able to submit a crafted file to be processed by OpenEXR could consume excessive system memory. The greatest impact of this flaw is to system availability.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2021-3478?: There's a flaw in OpenEXR's scanline input file functionality in versions before 3.0.0-beta. An attacker able to submit a crafted file to be processed by OpenEXR could consume excessive system memory. The greatest impact of this flaw is to system availability.
How severe is CVE-2021-3478?: CVE-2021-3478 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.5, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.
Is CVE-2021-3478 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (57th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2021-3478?: CVE-2021-3478 primarily affects Openexr. In total, 3 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2021-3478?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2021-3478 published?: CVE-2021-3478 was published on 2021-03-31 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (3)

cpe:2.3:a:openexr:openexr:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:9.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:10.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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