dbcve.org
Bio FormatsApplication · Openmicroscopy

CVE-2026-22187

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2026-01-07
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to after 8.3.0 or later.
See remediation →
81/100
Remediation priority · High
No privileges

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
Bio-Formats versions up to and including 8.3.0 perform unsafe Java deserialization of attacker-controlled memoization cache files (.bfmemo) during image processing. The loci.formats.Memoizer class automatically loads and deserializes memo files associated with images without validation, integrity checks, or trust enforcement. An attacker who can supply a crafted .bfmemo file alongside an image can trigger deserialization of untrusted data, which may result in denial of service, logic manipulation, or potentially remote code execution in environments where suitable gadget chains are present on the classpath.

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

Bio-Formats' Memoizer class automatically deserializes .bfmemo memoization cache files without validation, integrity checks, or trust enforcement. An attacker who can supply a crafted .bfmemo file alongside an image can trigger unsafe Java deserialization, potentially leading to denial of service, logic manipulation, or remote code execution if gadget chains exist on the classpath.

MitigationDisable memoization or implement strict validation and integrity verification (e.g., cryptographic signatures) for .bfmemo files before deserialization. Upgrade to a patched version if available and audit the classpath for deserialization gadget chains.

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
Bio FormatsApplication
Affected:<= 8.3.0

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
Local
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
Required
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/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 Bio-Formats version
    Inspect the Bio-Formats JAR file manifest, check Maven/Gradle dependencies, or query the bioformats_package.version property programmatically via the Bio-Formats API
    Affected if Installed version is 8.3.0 or lower
  2. Confirm memoization is in use
    Search application logs for 'Memoizer' or '.bfmemo' file creation, or inspect application code for calls to ImageReader.setMemoize(true) or ConfigurationService options that enable memoization
    Affected if Memoization is enabled and .bfmemo files are being generated or loaded
  3. Locate .bfmemo cache files
    Search the filesystem for files with the .bfmemo extension, commonly stored alongside the associated image files or in a memoization directory
    Affected if Any .bfmemo files exist in accessible locations where an attacker could supply a crafted file
  4. Audit classpath for deserialization gadgets
    Review all JAR dependencies on the classpath for known Java deserialization gadget chains (such as Apache Commons Collections, Spring, Groovy, or similar libraries that can be chained for RCE)
    Affected if Deserialization gadget chains are present on the classpath, increasing the exploit severity from DoS to potential RCE

Environment is affected if Bio-Formats version is 8.3.0 or lower AND memoization is enabled AND untrusted .bfmemo files can be introduced (with gadget chains on classpath increasing severity).

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.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to a release after 8.3.0
Interim mitigation

Disable memoization or implement strict validation and integrity verification (e.g., cryptographic signatures) for .bfmemo files before deserialization. Upgrade to a patched version if available and audit the classpath for deserialization gadget chains.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Bio-Formats 8.3.1 or later

  1. 1. Identify all Java applications or tools using Bio-Formats library version 8.3.0 or earlier
  2. 2. Check pom.xml, build.gradle, or other dependency management files for 'loci:bio-formats' or 'ome:bio-formats' dependencies
  3. 3. Upgrade the Bio-Formats dependency to version 8.3.1 or later
  4. 4. Rebuild and redeploy the affected applications
  5. 5. Clear any existing cached .bfmemo files in your environment to prevent loading of potentially untrusted cached data
  6. 6. Verify the upgrade by testing image processing workflows
Caveat Review release notes for any API changes between 8.3.0 and the target version; ensure any custom Memoizer configurations are compatible

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Bio Formats Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation6.0 h
  • Implementation20.0 h
  • Testing12.0 h
  • Review / QA6.0 h
44.0 hours of engineering $7,680
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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-2026-22187 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
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data