Description
libde265 is an open source implementation of the h.265 video codec. Prior to version 1.0.20, a crafted sequence of H.265 NAL units causes `decoder_context::read_slice_NAL()` (`libde265/decctx.cc:481`) to attach slice headers to a finished picture object
that has no active image unit, resulting in attacker-controlled unbounded heap growth. The retained headers are never freed until the picture is released, which may not happen during continuous streaming. Version 1.0.20 patches the issue.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|---|
| strukturag | libde265 | < 1.0.20 | — |
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 | libde265 | 1.1.1-1 | — |
| Debian 13 | libde265 | 1.0.15-1+deb13u1 | — |
| Debian 12 | libde265 | 1.0.11-1+deb12u3 | — |
Ubuntu
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu 25.10 | libde265 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | libde265 | 1.0.15-1ubuntu0.1 | USN-8573-1 |
Show 5 more (older releases, extended support, other products)Fewer releases
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu Pro 26.04 LTS | libde265 | 1.0.16-1ubuntu0.1~esm1 | USN-8573-1 |
| Ubuntu Pro 22.04 LTS | libde265 | 1.0.8-1ubuntu0.3+esm2 | USN-8573-1 |
| Ubuntu Pro 20.04 LTS | libde265 | 1.0.4-1ubuntu0.4+esm2 | USN-8573-1 |
| Ubuntu Pro 18.04 LTS | libde265 | 1.0.2-2ubuntu0.18.04.1~esm6 | USN-8573-1 |
| Ubuntu Pro 16.04 LTS | libde265 | 1.0.2-2ubuntu0.16.04.1~esm6 | USN-8573-1 |
Alpine
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alpine v3.24 | libde265 | 1.1.3-r0 | — |
Amazon Linux
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon Linux 2023 | libde265 +1 | 1.0.18-1.amzn2023.0.2 | ALAS2023-2026-1918 |
Advisories 2
- USN-8573-1 libde265 vulnerabilities Ubuntu Security Notices (USN) · Sep 14, 2026
- ALAS2023-2026-1918 Important: libde265 security update (Amazon Linux 2023) Amazon Linux Security Center (ALAS) · Jul 7, 2026