CVE-2026-41071: libheif Out-of-bounds Read

Description

libheif is a HEIF and AVIF file format decoder and encoder. In versions 1.21.2 and prior, a crafted HEIF sequence file where the saiz box declares more samples than actually exist in the track's chunk table causes a heap-buffer-overflow (out-of-bounds read) in the SampleAuxInfoReader constructor. The SampleAuxInfoReader constructor iterates over saiz->get_num_samples() samples but doesn't validate that this count is consistent with the number of chunks in the chunks vector. When saiz declares more samples than the chunks cover, the loop increments current_chunk past chunks.size(), causing an out-of-bounds read on the chunks vector. The vulnerability is triggered during file parsing (heif_context_read_from_file) without any additional user interaction. Any application using libheif to open untrusted HEIF files is affected. This issue has been fixed in version 1.22.0.

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CVSS v3.1 Score

8.1

HIGH

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

EPSS — Exploit Prediction

0.0034

Probability of exploitation

0.25%

Percentile rank

EPSS estimates the probability that this vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within the next 30 days. A higher score means more likely to be exploited.

Weakness Type (CWE)

CWE-125 Out-of-bounds Read

Affected Products

Vendor	Product	Versions
struktur	libheif	< 1.22.0

References

Advisories & Patches

https://github.com/strukturag/libheif/security/advisories/GHSA-xj92-xjff-h8w3

Exploits

https://github.com/strukturag/libheif/security/advisories/GHSA-xj92-xjff-h8w3

Other References

https://github.com/strukturag/libheif/releases/tag/v1.22.0

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-41071? +

libheif is a HEIF and AVIF file format decoder and encoder. In versions 1.21.2 and prior, a crafted HEIF sequence file where the saiz box declares more samples than actually exist in the track's chunk table causes a heap-buffer-overflow (out-of-bounds read) in the SampleAuxInfoReader constructor. The SampleAuxInfoReader constructor iterates over saiz->get_num_samples() samples but doesn't validate that this count is consistent with the number of chunks in the chunks vector. When saiz declares more samples than the chunks cover, the loop increments current_chunk past chunks.size(), causing an out-of-bounds read on the chunks vector. The vulnerability is triggered during file parsing (heif_context_read_from_file) without any additional user interaction. Any application using libheif to open untrusted HEIF files is affected. This issue has been fixed in version 1.22.0. It has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 8.1 (HIGH).

How severe is CVE-2026-41071? +

CVE-2026-41071 has a CVSS v3.1 score of 8.1 out of 10, rated HIGH. This is a high-severity vulnerability that should be prioritized for patching. The EPSS score is 0.0034, placing it in the 0th percentile for exploitation probability.

What products are affected by CVE-2026-41071? +

CVE-2026-41071 affects products from struktur, specifically: libheif. Check the affected products table above for specific version ranges.

How do I check if I'm vulnerable to CVE-2026-41071? +

You can use Secably's free Website Scanner to check your website for known vulnerabilities. For infrastructure scanning, use the Port Scanner to identify exposed services that may be affected. Check the vendor advisories linked above for specific patch and version information.

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