NULL pointer dereference in libheif - #VU146730
Published: September 2, 2026
Vulnerability identifier: #VU146730
CSH Severity: Medium
CVSS v4: 8.7 [CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N]
CVE-ID: N/A
CWE-ID: CWE-476
Exploitation vector: Remote access
Exploit availability:
No public exploit available
Vulnerability details
The vulnerability allows a remote attacker to cause a denial of service.
The vulnerability exists due to a null pointer dereference in heif_image_handle_get_depth_image_handle and heif_image_handle_get_depth_image_representation_info when processing a HEIF or AVIF file without a depth auxiliary image. A remote attacker can supply a file that lacks a depth auxiliary image to cause a denial of service.
Exploitation requires an application to call the depth API without first checking has_depth_image().
Affected software
libheif
Remediation
Install security update from vendor's website.
libheif - update to 1.23.3