CVE-2020-13494: A heap overflow vulnerability exists in the Pixar OpenUSD 20.05 parsing of compressed string tokens in binary

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MEDIUM 5.5DOWNGRADE

CVE-2020-13494 is a medium-severity flaw (CVSS 5.5) affecting openusd. Below: why it ranks where it does, which versions are affected, what to do, and the exact commands.

A heap overflow vulnerability exists in the Pixar OpenUSD 20.05 parsing of compressed string tokens in binary USD files. A specially crafted malformed file can trigger a heap overflow which can result in out of bounds memory access which could lead to information disclosure. This vulnerability could be used to bypass mitigations and aid further exploitation. To trigger this vulnerability, victim needs to access an attacker-provided malformed file

Why this priority

Public exploit reference

No fix is published yet: follow the downgrade or mitigation steps.

Risk facts

CVSS score	5.5 (Medium)
Attack vector	Local
Attack complexity	Low
Privileges needed	None
User interaction	Required
EPSS exploit chance	1.2% (top 32%)
CISA exploited list	No
Weakness	CWE-122, CWE-787
Published	2020-12-02
Last modified	2026-06-17

Publisher (CNA): Talos · Vendor: pixar

Last updated 2026-06-17 · Sources: CVE Program, NVD, CISA KEV, EPSS and vendor advisories · How we score

Am I affected?

Timeline

2020-12-02 18:15 UTCPublished CVE record published
2026-06-17 02:53 UTCUpdated Record last modified

pixar openusd DOWNGRADE

Affected: 20.05

Fixed in: no fixed release known

Safe to downgrade to: a release before 20.05

1. Check installed version

apt-cache policy openusd || rpm -q openusd || openusd --version

2. No fixed release: DOWNGRADE to a release before 20.05 (Debian / Ubuntu)

apt-cache madison openusd sudo apt install openusd=<VERSION_BEFORE_20.05> sudo apt-mark hold openusd

2. No fixed release: DOWNGRADE (RHEL / Amazon Linux / Fedora)

dnf --showduplicates list openusd sudo dnf downgrade openusd-<VERSION_BEFORE_20.05> sudo dnf versionlock add openusd

Downgrade risk

Downgrading can break dependent software and may reopen older bugs. Read the distro advisory first and test on a non-production host.

After downgrade

Restart the service, and keep the package held until a fixed release ships.

Verify at the official source NVD · CVE Program · Report a problem with this page
Scores and fixes here are computed automatically from those and other public sources. Confirm with the vendor advisory before changing production systems.

Quick answers

How do I fix CVE-2020-13494?

openusd: downgrade or apply the listed mitigation. Exact commands for each OS are on this page.

Is CVE-2020-13494 being exploited?

CVE-2020-13494 is not on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities list at the time of the last update. Check again, as this can change.

What does CVE-2020-13494 affect?

CVE-2020-13494 affects openusd. Severity is medium (CVSS 5.5). A heap overflow vulnerability exists in the Pixar OpenUSD 20.05 parsing of compressed string tokens in binary USD files. A specially crafted malformed file can trigger a heap overflow which can result in out of bounds memory access which co

How urgent is CVE-2020-13494?

Priority 41/100. Public exploit reference

Related CVEs

CVE-2020-6156 HIGH 7.8 DOWNGRADE A heap overflow vulnerability exists in Pixar OpenUSD 20.05 when the software parses compressed sections in bi
CVE-2020-6155 HIGH 7.8 DOWNGRADE A heap overflow vulnerability exists in the Pixar OpenUSD 20.05 while parsing compressed value rep arrays in b
CVE-2020-6150 HIGH 7.8 DOWNGRADE A heap overflow vulnerability exists in Pixar OpenUSD 20.05 when the software USDC file format SPECS section d
CVE-2020-6149 HIGH 7.8 DOWNGRADE A heap overflow vulnerability exists in Pixar OpenUSD 20.05 when the software parses compressed sections in bi
CVE-2020-6148 HIGH 7.8 DOWNGRADE A heap overflow vulnerability exists in Pixar OpenUSD 20.05 when the software parses compressed sections in bi

References

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