CVE-2019-5063 — opencv-python
HIGHCVE-2019-5063 is a high-severity (CVSS 8.8) CWE-120 vulnerability in opencv-python. 1 public exploit reference exists, so weaponization risk is real. No vendor fix is recorded yet; mitigation options are listed below.
Out-of-bounds Write in OpenCV
EPSS Exploitation Probability
Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days, from FIRST.org EPSS.
How urgent is this, really
CVE-2019-5063 by exploitation likelihood (EPSS) against impact (CVSS). Outside the shaded patch-first corner.
Where this sits among everything scored
Of 385,738 CVEs with a current EPSS score, this one falls in the 10–50% band (highlighted). Counts from FIRST.org, log-scaled.
Real-World Exposure
opencv-python🐍opencv-python-headless🐍opencv-contrib-python🐍opencv-contrib-python-headlessReal-time download stats are indexed for npm and PyPI packages. This vulnerability affects PyPI packages — download data is not available via public APIs for these ecosystems.
Description
An exploitable heap buffer overflow vulnerability exists in the data structure persistence functionality of OpenCV 4.1.0 (corresponds with OpenCV-Python 4.1.0.25). A specially crafted XML file can cause a buffer overflow, resulting in multiple heap corruptions and potential code execution. An attacker can provide a specially crafted file to trigger this vulnerability.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🐍PyPI | opencv-python | all versions | No fix |
| 🐍PyPI | opencv-python-headless | all versions | No fix |
| 🐍PyPI | opencv-contrib-python | all versions | No fix |
| 🐍PyPI | opencv-contrib-python-headless | all versions | No fix |
Affected Products
opencvopencvapplication testing suiteoraclebig data spatial and graphoracleenterprise manager base platformoracleResearch use only. For defensive security, authorized penetration testing, and academic research only. Never execute exploit code against systems without explicit written authorization.
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for opencv-python, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Remediation status
No patched version of opencv-python has shipped for CVE-2019-5063 yet. Where your build allows, override or pin the dependency away from the vulnerable range, and apply any maintainer-recommended mitigation.
Mitigate without a patch
Stop feeding it untrusted input: reject or quarantine files and payloads from unverified sources until you can upgrade, restrict accepted formats to the ones you actually need, and run the parsing or decoding step in a least-privileged sandbox or short-lived worker so a crash or corrupted read cannot reach the rest of the process.
Fixing This On Your OS
If you run this on a Linux distribution, patch through your package manager against the distro's own security advisory below — it tracks the exact backported fix for your release, which can ship on a different timeline (and sometimes a different severity) than the upstream project.
This flaw did not affect the versions of OpenCV as shipped with Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6, 7, and 8, as they did not include the vulnerable code, which was introduced in a later version of the library.
Avoid loading OpenCV data structures from external untrusted XML files.Source: Red Hat security advisory for CVE-2019-5063 (CC BY 4.0)
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2019-5063 in your dependencies?
Find it across PyPI, including transitive dependencies.