CVE-2017-14988
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedHeader::readfrom in IlmImf/ImfHeader.cpp in OpenEXR 2.2.0 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (excessive memory allocation) via a crafted file that is accessed with the ImfOpenInputFile function in IlmImf/ImfCRgbaFile.cpp. NOTE: The maintainer and multiple third parties believe that this vulnerability isn't valid
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · moderate confidenceIn OpenEXR 2.2.0, the Header::readfrom function in IlmImf/ImfHeader.cpp lacks proper bounds validation when parsing the header of a crafted OpenEXR image file. When such a file is opened via ImfOpenInputFile, the vulnerability allows excessive memory allocation, leading to denial of service via resource exhaustion.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data= 2.2.0CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- None
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify installed OpenEXR versionRun 'pkg-config --modversion OpenEXR' or check package manager (dpkg -l | grep -i openexr on Debian/Ubuntu, rpm -qi OpenEXR on RHEL/CentOS)Affected if Version equals 2.2.0
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Locate OpenEXR library binaryFind the shared library file (typically libIlmImf.so or libOpenEXR.so in /usr/lib or /usr/local/lib) and run 'strings' or check file metadata for version stringAffected if Library file shows version 2.2.0
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Identify applications using OpenEXR for image loadingReview application dependencies or code that calls ImfOpenInputFile function from IlmImf libraryAffected if Application links against vulnerable OpenEXR 2.2.0 library and processes .exr files
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Check for untrusted .exr file processingAudit logs or file handling code for instances where ImfOpenInputFile is called on files from untrusted sourcesAffected if Code opens .exr files from untrusted or user-supplied sources using the vulnerable function
User is affected if OpenEXR version 2.2.0 is installed AND the system or applications process untrusted or crafted OpenEXR image files via ImfOpenInputFile.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
From vendor dataAvoid opening untrusted or unfamiliar OpenEXR files with vulnerable versions. If available, apply any vendor patches or update to a newer OpenEXR version. The maintainer disputes the validity of this finding, suggesting potential limitations in practical exploitability.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2017-14988 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2017-14988 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
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