CVE-2026-21413
Memory Safety in Libraw 0.22.0 … 0.22.1
Raw vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:HSummary
CVE-2026-21413 is a critical-severity Improper Validation of Array Index (CWE-129) vulnerability in Libraw Libraw. Its CVSS base score is 9.8 (Critical).
Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Exploitation for Privilege Escalation (T1068); ranked in the top 48% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog; a public proof-of-concept is referenced.
The strongest mitigations our analysis identified map to SA-11 (Developer Testing and Evaluation) and SA-15 (Development Process, Standards, and Tools) — see the control section below for these in your framework.
Deeper analysis AI-assisted summary
Synthesised by an AI model from the NVD description and linked references — a reading aid, not an authoritative source.
A heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability, designated CVE-2026-21413, affects the lossless_jpeg_load_raw functionality in LibRaw at Commit 0b56545 and Commit d20315b. This flaw arises from improper validation of array indices (CWE-129), allowing a specially crafted malicious file to trigger a heap buffer overflow when processed by the library. LibRaw is a widely used open-source library for reading RAW image files, commonly integrated into image processing applications, photo editors, and camera software.
The vulnerability carries a CVSS v3.1 base score of 9.8 (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H), indicating it is exploitable remotely with low complexity, no privileges or user interaction required. An attacker can supply a malicious file to any application or system that uses the affected LibRaw commits for RAW image decoding, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution, data corruption, or denial of service through heap memory corruption.
Mitigation details are provided in the Talos Intelligence advisory TALOS-2026-2331, accessible at https://talosintelligence.com/vulnerability_reports/TALOS-2026-2331 and https://www.talosintelligence.com/vulnerability_reports/TALOS-2026-2331. Security practitioners should consult these reports for patching guidance, updated commits, or workarounds specific to LibRaw integrations.
OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2026-19624
Vulnerability Data
A heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability exists in the lossless_jpeg_load_raw functionality of LibRaw Commit 0b56545 and Commit d20315b. A specially crafted malicious file can lead to a heap buffer overflow. An attacker can provide a malicious file to trigger this vulnerability.
- CWE(s)
Related Threats
MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques
CVEs Like This One
Affected Assets
Mitigating Controls
Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5) AI
Developer testing and evaluation (including fuzzing and bounds checks) finds out-of-bounds write flaws before deployment.
Requiring documented secure-development standards and tools can mandate bounds-checked coding practices that avoid the weakness.
Input validation can structurally reject or sanitize data that would otherwise trigger an out-of-bounds write.
Memory-protection mechanisms limit the exploitability and blast radius of a successful out-of-bounds write.
Mitigating Controls (NIST CSF 2.0) AI
Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→CSF cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.
Secure SDLC practices directly require input validation and bounds checking that prevent improper array indexing.
Vulnerability scanning and recording can discover out-of-bounds write flaws so they can be remediated.
Patching or replacing vulnerable software directly eliminates known instances of this coding weakness.
Mitigating Controls (ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A) AI
Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→ISO cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.
Security testing in development can detect out-of-bounds array access but does not prevent the weakness by itself.
Secure development lifecycle mandates input validation and bounds checking that directly prevents improper array indexing.
Application security requirements include validation of untrusted input used for indexing or addressing memory structures.
Secure architecture principles encourage defensive coding patterns that reduce index-related vulnerabilities.
Secure coding standards explicitly require bounds checking and validation of array indices derived from untrusted data.
Change management can enforce review gates that catch unsafe memory operations before deployment.