# CVE-2026-68513: OpenEXR: Heap buffer overflow in PyOpenEXR from literal/prefixed RGB channel name collision

> Heap buffer overflow in PyOpenEXR allows attackers to execute code or crash applications via crafted EXR files with colliding channel names.

- **Severity:** High 7.1 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 25 Aug 2026
- **Updated:** 28 Aug 2026
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2026-68513, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-68513, GHSA-rw5h-3q4v-c3vc, MINI-77m7-j457-6v4j, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-68513

## What is CVE-2026-68513?

CVE-2026-68513 is a high-severity memory corruption vulnerability in AcademySoftwareFoundation openexr, published on 25 Aug 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

OpenEXR is the reference implementation and specification for the EXR image format, widely used in the motion picture industry. Versions 3.3.0 through 3.3.12 and 3.4.0 through 3.4.13 contain a heap buffer overflow in PyOpenEXR triggered by a channel-name key collision between literal and prefixed RGB channels. When separate_channels=false, PyOpenEXR maps each physical channel name through channelNameToRGBA() and coalesces the results into a shared RGB array. A crafted flat scanline EXR that contains both a literal channel such as left and prefixed channels such as left.R, left.G, and left.B causes these names to collide, so the wrapper reuses an undersized two-dimensional NumPy array for the coalesced RGB slices and writes out of bounds when OpenEXR.File(path) decodes the pixels. This issue is fixed in versions 3.3.13 and 3.4.14.

Weakness: CWE-787 (Out-of-bounds Write), CWE-122 (Heap-based Buffer Overflow)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-68513?


## How do I fix CVE-2026-68513?

Upgrade to a fixed version.

## Is CVE-2026-68513 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2026-68513 exists.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-68513 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-68513 is a high-severity memory corruption vulnerability in AcademySoftwareFoundation openexr, published on 25 Aug 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2026-68513 exists.

Affected product: AcademySoftwareFoundation openexr. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-68513/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-68513/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-68513
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-68513
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-68513

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-68513/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.