# CVE-2025-48074: OpenEXR denial of service via unbounded dataWindow header values

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2025-48074-openexr-denial-of-service-via-unbounded-datawindow-header-values  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2025-07-31. Updated: 2026-06-11  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2025-48074 · Severity: medium · CVSS 4 · Published 2025-07-31

OpenEXR is a high dynamic-range image file format used extensively in the visual effects and animation industries. A vulnerability in how the library handles image headers allows a specially crafted file to crash applications or exhaust system memory. This could lead to a denial-of-service, preventing users from processing images or causing production pipelines to stall.

Technologies: [OpenEXR (PyPI)](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/openexr). Vendors: [PyPI](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/pypi).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2025-48074 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2025-48074 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2025-48074?** Medium severity, with a CVSS score of 4, published 31 July 2025.

**Which products and versions are affected?** OpenEXR (PyPI) = 3.3.2, ECOSYSTEM:introduced=3.3.2,fixed=3.3.3.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2025-48074?** Yes. OpenEXR (PyPI): upgrade to 3.3.3 or later. Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.

**How is CVE-2025-48074 attacked?** It is attacked with local access, in a software library.

**Am I affected by CVE-2025-48074?** Check whether you run OpenEXR (PyPI) at an affected version. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

## How to fix

- OpenEXR (PyPI): upgrade to 3.3.3 or later

  ```sh
  pip install "OpenEXR>=3.3.3"
  ```


## Technical details

A resource exhaustion vulnerability (CWE-770) exists in OpenEXR version 3.3.2 due to improper validation of 'dataWindow' values in image headers. The library trusts these values to perform computations and memory allocations, specifically in functions like readScanline() and EnvmapImage::resize(). An attacker can provide a crafted EXR file with extreme dataWindow coordinates to trigger excessive loop iterations or multi-gigabyte memory allocations, leading to application crashes (std::bad_alloc) or system-wide memory exhaustion. The issue is addressed in version 3.3.3.

## Affected products

- AcademySoftwareFoundation OpenEXR 3.3.2

## Identifiers

- CVE-2025-48074
- GHSA-x22w-82jp-8rvf
- PYSEC-2026-1749

## Timeline

- 2025-07-31: disclosed
- 2025-07-31: advisory
- 2025-07-31: patched: Fixed in version 3.3.3

## References

- [https://api.github.com/users/suidpit](https://api.github.com/users/suidpit)
- [https://github.com/suidpit](https://github.com/suidpit)
- [https://api.github.com/users/suidpit/gists%7B/gist_id%7D](https://api.github.com/users/suidpit/gists%7B/gist_id%7D)
- [https://api.github.com/users/suidpit/repos](https://api.github.com/users/suidpit/repos)
- [https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/u/25264901?v=4](https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/u/25264901?v=4)
- [https://api.github.com/users/suidpit/events%7B/privacy%7D](https://api.github.com/users/suidpit/events%7B/privacy%7D)

## Related threats

- [PYSEC-2026-2849 - OpenEXR has heap-buffer-overflow via signed integer underflow in ImfContextInit.cpp](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-26981-openexr-has-heap-buffer-overflow-via-signed-integer-underflow-in)
- [PYSEC-2026-2844 - OpenEXR has use after free in PyObject_StealAttrString](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2025-64183-openexr-has-use-after-free-in-pyobject-stealattrstring)
- [PYSEC-2026-2851 - OpenEXR has buffer overflow in PyOpenEXR_old's channels() and channel()](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2025-64182-openexr-has-buffer-overflow-in-pyopenexr-old-s-channels-and)
- [PYSEC-2026-2843 - OpenEXR Makes Use of Uninitialized Memory](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2025-64181-openexr-use-of-uninitialized-memory-in-generic-unpack)
- [PYSEC-2026-1748 - OpenEXR ScanLineProcess::run_fill NULL Pointer Write In "reduceMemory" Mode](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2025-48073-openexr-scanlineprocess-run-fill-null-pointer-write-in)