Description
libheif is a HEIF and AVIF file format decoder and encoder. In versions 1.21.2 and prior, when decoding a HEIF grid image with strict_decoding=false (the default), a corrupted tile silently fails to decode and the library returns heif_error_Ok with no indication of failure, leading to an uninitialized heap memory information leak. The canvas is allocated via create_clone_image_at_new_size() → plane.alloc() → new (std::nothrow) uint8_t[allocation_size] which does not zero the memory; only the alpha plane is explicitly initialized via fill_plane(), so the Y, Cb, and Cr planes contain whatever was previously at that heap address. The failed tile's region of the canvas is never written. It retains uninitialized heap data that is delivered to the caller as decoded pixel values (4,096 bytes per Y/Cb/Cr plane = 12,288+ bytes total). Any application using libheif to decode grid-based HEIF/AVIF files with default settings is vulnerable: a crafted .heic or .avif file causes 4,096+ bytes of heap memory to appear as pixel values in the decoded image, and the calling application receives heif_error_Ok, so it has no indication the output contains heap garbage. In server-side image processing, an uploaded crafted HEIF decoded and re-encoded (e.g., as PNG/JPEG for thumbnails, CDN, social media) can leak cross-user data such as auth tokens, database results, and other users' image data. This issue has been fixed in version 1.22.0.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|---|
| strukturag | libheif | < 1.22.0 | — |
Fixed in Linux distributions
Distributions backport fixes, so the version that fixes this vulnerability differs per release — upgrade to at least the version shown. From the distributions' security trackers and advisories.
Debian
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian 14 | libheif | 1.23.1-1 | — |
| Debian 12 | libheif | No fix yet | — |
Ubuntu
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu 26.04 LTS | libheif | 1.21.2-3ubuntu0.1 | — |
| Ubuntu 25.10 | libheif | 1.20.2-1ubuntu0.4 | — |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | libheif | 1.17.6-1ubuntu4.4 | — |
Show 2 more (older releases, extended support, other products)Fewer releases
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu Pro 22.04 LTS | libheif | 1.12.0-2ubuntu0.1~esm3 | — |
| Ubuntu Pro 20.04 LTS | libheif | 1.6.1-1ubuntu0.1~esm3 | — |
SUSE
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| SLES 15 SP7 | libheif | 1.23.0-150700.3.15.1 | SUSE-SU-2026:2622-1 |
Show 2 more (older releases, extended support, other products)Fewer releases
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| SLES for SAP 16.0 | libheif | 1.23.0-160000.1.1 | SUSE-SU-2026:22153-1 |
| SLES 16.0 | libheif | 1.23.0-160000.1.1 | SUSE-SU-2026:22153-1 |
openSUSE
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| openSUSE Tumbleweed | libheif | 1.22.2-1.1 | openSUSE-SU-2026:10878-1 |
| openSUSE Leap 16.0 | libheif | 1.23.0-160000.1.1 | openSUSE-SU-2026:20974-1 |
Advisories 4
- SUSE-SU-2026:2622-1 Security update for libheif SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Jun 25, 2026
- openSUSE-SU-2026:20974-1 Security update for libheif SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Jun 24, 2026
- SUSE-SU-2026:22153-1 Security update for libheif SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Jun 24, 2026
- openSUSE-SU-2026:10878-1 gdk-pixbuf-loader-libheif-1.22.2-1.1 on GA media SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · May 29, 2026