OpenjpegApplication · Uclouvain

CVE-2025-54874

CRITICAL · 9.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2025-08-05
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to after 2.5.3 or later.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Public exploit Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click Patch available

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 · unedited
OpenJPEG is an open-source JPEG 2000 codec. In OpenJPEG from 2.5.1 through 2.5.3, a call to opj_jp2_read_header may lead to OOB heap memory write when the data stream p_stream is too short and p_image is not initialized.

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 · high confidence

A heap-based out-of-bounds write vulnerability exists in OpenJPEG's opj_jp2_read_header function. When processing a JPEG 2000 data stream that is shorter than expected and the p_image parameter is not properly initialized, the function can write beyond allocated buffer boundaries, potentially allowing arbitrary code execution.

MitigationUpgrade to OpenJPEG version 2.5.4 or later when available; alternatively, ensure proper validation of input stream length and initialize all pointer parameters before calling opj_jp2_read_header.

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
OpenjpegApplication
Affected:<= 2.5.3

CVSS 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
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify OpenJPEG library version
    Run 'openjpeg --version' or check library file version metadata (e.g., libopenjp2.so.*). On Linux: 'dpkg -l | grep openjpeg' or 'rpm -qa | grep openjpeg'. On Windows: right-click the DLL and view Properties > Details > File Version.
    Affected if Version is 2.5.3 or lower (any version <= 2.5.3)
  2. Verify if application uses opj_jp2_read_header
    Search source code for calls to 'opj_jp2_read_header' function. Use 'grep -r "opj_jp2_read_header" /path/to/source' or inspect binary for this symbol using 'nm' or 'objdump'.
    Affected if Code invokes opj_jp2_read_header to parse JPEG 2000 streams
  3. Confirm input handling of JP2 files
    Inspect how JPEG 2000 files are processed: check file input routines, ensure stream length validation occurs before calling opj_jp2_read_header, and verify that the p_image parameter is initialized to NULL before the call.
    Affected if Application processes JP2/J2K files from untrusted sources without validating stream length beforehand
  4. Check for usage of older OpenJPEG bindings
    If using language bindings (Python openjpeg, Java bindings, etc.), verify the underlying library version. Check package manager for binding version and its dependency on libopenjp2.
    Affected if Bindings depend on OpenJPEG library version <= 2.5.3

You are affected if your OpenJPEG library version is 2.5.3 or lower and your application uses opj_jp2_read_header to process JPEG 2000 files from untrusted sources.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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 data
Upgrade available Upgrade to a release after 2.5.3
Vendor patch github.com →
Interim mitigation

Upgrade to OpenJPEG version 2.5.4 or later when available; alternatively, ensure proper validation of input stream length and initialize all pointer parameters before calling opj_jp2_read_header.

Fix this in Openjpeg Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
22.0 hours of engineering $3,860
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $6,176.

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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2025-54874 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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