ExifReader: DoS via Crafted HEIC/AVIF iloc Box - Memory Exhaustion

Exploitation

No confirmed exploitation recorded. Patch Next marks exploitation only from CISA KEV.

CVSS

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

EPSS

• CVE-2026-85715: 0.61% estimated exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 49.23 (FIRST EPSS, 2026-11-03). This is a model estimate, not proof of exploitation or customer exposure.

As published by the source; long descriptions are shortened.

Summary ExifReader 4.41.0 is vulnerable to denial of service through a crafted HEIC or AVIF file with a malicious iloc box. When offsetSize, lengthSize, and baseOffsetSize are set to zero in the iloc header, the extent-parsing loop allocates an unbounded number of JavaScript objects - up to itemCount × extentCount (65535 × 65535 = 4.3 billion) - without advancing the buffer offset. A 652-byte file causes 400MB of heap growth; a 6KB file exhausts all system memory and crashes the Node.js process with a JavaScript heap out-of-memory error. Affected version tested - npm package: exifreader - Version: 4.41.0 - Affected formats: HEIC, AVIF (ISO-BMFF container) Root cause File: src/image-header-iso-bmff-iloc.js, lines 79–116, function getItems(). The iloc parser reads four size fields from the file (each a 4-bit nibble, valid values 0–15): | Field | Controls | |-------|----------| | offsetSize | Bytes per extent offset | | lengthSize | Bytes per extent length | | baseOffsetSize | Bytes per…

Published by the source

17 Sep 2026, 16:30 UTC

Last modified by the source

17 Sep 2026, 16:45 UTC

Source last checked

26 Oct 2026, 13:02 UTC

1. Revision 3 · amended · 26 Oct 2026

   Amended from ghsa record GHSA-pj96-35fp-cfcc

2. Revision 2 · amended · 24 Oct 2026

   Amended from osv record GHSA-pj96-35fp-cfcc

3. Revision 1 · created · 23 Oct 2026

   Published from ghsa record GHSA-pj96-35fp-cfcc

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# Patch Next advisory brief: CVE-2026-85715

Advisory: ExifReader: DoS via Crafted HEIC/AVIF iloc Box - Memory Exhaustion
IDs: CVE-2026-85715, GHSA-pj96-35fp-cfcc
Record: https://patchnext.com/advisories/cve-2026-85715 (revision 3, source checked 26 Oct 2026, 13:02 UTC)
Inventory: none attached. This brief comes from a public page and does not say whether any deployment is affected.
Severity: High (CVSS 7.5)
Exploitation: no confirmed exploitation recorded. Patch Next confirms exploitation only from CISA KEV.
Vendor response: Vendor fix available; fixed versions by package: exifreader 4.41.1. A vendor fix does not mean a deployment is fixed.

## Affected components
- npm exifreader: affected <= 4.41.0; fixed in 4.41.1

## Suggested inspection (read-only)
- `npm ls exifreader --all`: lists every installed copy and version, including transitive ones. Run in the project root after `npm ci`.

## Supported action
Upgrade each affected component to a fixed version on its release line. For a transitive dependency, upgrade the parent package or add an override or constraint, then regenerate the lockfile. Redeploy every environment that ran an affected version.

## Required regression checks
- Run the test suite and a production build.
- Exercise the features that depend on exifreader.
- Repeat the inspection and confirm that only fixed versions remain installed.

## Rollback considerations
- Keep the previous lockfile and deployment artifact. Rolling back reinstates the vulnerable version, so apply any documented mitigation while you fix forward.

## Unresolved questions
- Which deployments run an affected version?
- Exploitation status can change. Check again before lowering the priority.
- Mark the work resolved only after the fixed version is verified in production.

## Sources
- Verified: https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-pj96-35fp-cfcc (GitHub-reviewed advisory GHSA-pj96-35fp-cfcc lists affected ranges: npm exifreader >=0 <=4.41.0)
- Verified: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/GHSA-pj96-35fp-cfcc (OSV record GHSA-pj96-35fp-cfcc lists affected ranges: npm exifreader >=0 <4.41.1 (fixed))

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