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CVE-2026-96640

Full vulnerability record from the local CVENow database.

Description

Pillow is a Python imaging library. From 5.1.0 until 13.0.0, PdfParser.linearize_page_tree() in src/PIL/PdfParser.py treats a PDF /Pages graph as a tree without tracking duplicate indirect references. When Image.save(..., format="PDF", append=True) processes an attacker-controlled existing PDF whose /Kids arrays repeatedly reference the same child /Pages node, Pillow expands the shared subtree as distinct pages. A compact malformed PDF can therefore create exponentially many page references and consume disproportionate CPU before the append completes. This issue is fixed in version 13.0.0.

Severity
HIGH
CVSS score
8.2 (v4.0)
Vulnerability status
Modified
Source identifier
Published
2026-10-21 21:20:32.357000
Last modified
2026-10-28 02:17:07.990000
View original CVE JSON
{
  "id": "CVE-2026-96640",
  "sourceIdentifier": "[email protected]",
  "published": "2026-10-21T21:20:32.357",
  "lastModified": "2026-10-28T02:17:07.990",
  "vulnStatus": "Modified",
  "cveTags": [],
  "descriptions": [
    {
      "lang": "en",
      "value": "Pillow is a Python imaging library. From 5.1.0 until 13.0.0, PdfParser.linearize_page_tree() in src/PIL/PdfParser.py treats a PDF /Pages graph as a tree without tracking duplicate indirect references. When Image.save(..., format=\"PDF\", append=True) processes an attacker-controlled existing PDF whose /Kids arrays repeatedly reference the same child /Pages node, Pillow expands the shared subtree as distinct pages. A compact malformed PDF can therefore create exponentially many page references and consume disproportionate CPU before the append completes. This issue is fixed in version 13.0.0."
    }
  ],
  "affected": [
    {
      "source": "[email protected]",
      "affectedData": [
        {
          "vendor": "python-pillow",
          "product": "Pillow",
          "versions": [
            {
              "version": ">= 5.1.0, < 13.0.0",
              "status": "affected"
            }
          ]
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "metrics": {
    "cvssMetricV40": [
      {
        "source": "[email protected]",
        "type": "Secondary",
        "cvssData": {
          "version": "4.0",
          "vectorString": "CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X",
          "baseScore": 8.2,
          "baseSeverity": "HIGH",
          "attackVector": "NETWORK",
          "attackComplexity": "LOW",
          "attackRequirements": "PRESENT",
          "privilegesRequired": "NONE",
          "userInteraction": "NONE",
          "vulnConfidentialityImpact": "NONE",
          "vulnIntegrityImpact": "NONE",
          "vulnAvailabilityImpact": "HIGH",
          "subConfidentialityImpact": "NONE",
          "subIntegrityImpact": "NONE",
          "subAvailabilityImpact": "NONE",
          "exploitMaturity": "NOT_DEFINED",
          "confidentialityRequirement": "NOT_DEFINED",
          "integrityRequirement": "NOT_DEFINED",
          "availabilityRequirement": "NOT_DEFINED",
          "modifiedAttackVector": "NOT_DEFINED",
          "modifiedAttackComplexity": "NOT_DEFINED",
          "modifiedAttackRequirements": "NOT_DEFINED",
          "modifiedPrivilegesRequired": "NOT_DEFINED",
          "modifiedUserInteraction": "NOT_DEFINED",
          "modifiedVulnConfidentialityImpact": "NOT_DEFINED",
          "modifiedVulnIntegrityImpact": "NOT_DEFINED",
          "modifiedVulnAvailabilityImpact": "NOT_DEFINED",
          "modifiedSubConfidentialityImpact": "NOT_DEFINED",
          "modifiedSubIntegrityImpact": "NOT_DEFINED",
          "modifiedSubAvailabilityImpact": "NOT_DEFINED",
          "Safety": "NOT_DEFINED",
          "Automatable": "NOT_DEFINED",
          "Recovery": "NOT_DEFINED",
          "valueDensity": "NOT_DEFINED",
          "vulnerabilityResponseEffort": "NOT_DEFINED",
          "providerUrgency": "NOT_DEFINED"
        }
      }
    ],
    "cvssMetricV31": [
      {
        "source": "[email protected]",
        "type": "Primary",
        "cvssData": {
          "version": "3.1",
          "vectorString": "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H",
          "baseScore": 7.5,
          "baseSeverity": "HIGH",
          "attackVector": "NETWORK",
          "attackComplexity": "LOW",
          "privilegesRequired": "NONE",
          "userInteraction": "NONE",
          "scope": "UNCHANGED",
          "confidentialityImpact": "NONE",
          "integrityImpact": "NONE",
          "availabilityImpact": "HIGH"
        },
        "exploitabilityScore": 3.9,
        "impactScore": 3.6
      }
    ],
    "ssvcV203": [
      {
        "source": "134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0",
        "ssvcData": {
          "timestamp": "2026-10-28T01:56:31.079893Z",
          "id": "CVE-2026-96640",
          "options": [
            {
              "exploitation": "poc"
            },
            {
              "automatable": "yes"
            },
            {
              "technicalImpact": "partial"
            }
          ],
          "role": "CISA Coordinator",
          "version": "2.0.3"
        }
      }
    ]
  },
  "weaknesses": [
    {
      "source": "[email protected]",
      "type": "Secondary",
      "description": [
        {
          "lang": "en",
          "value": "CWE-400"
        },
        {
          "lang": "en",
          "value": "CWE-407"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "configurations": [
    {
      "nodes": [
        {
          "operator": "OR",
          "negate": false,
          "cpeMatch": [
            {
              "vulnerable": true,
              "criteria": "cpe:2.3:a:python:pillow:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
              "versionStartIncluding": "5.1.0",
              "versionEndExcluding": "13.0.0",
              "matchCriteriaId": "7A7F4944-465B-47BC-AAF7-B2DF7D8105D5"
            }
          ]
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "references": [
    {
      "url": "https://github.com/python-pillow/Pillow/commit/6f0e7ee1f9c2fe227906f8a4b926e6622b702bc7",
      "source": "[email protected]",
      "tags": [
        "Patch"
      ]
    },
    {
      "url": "https://github.com/python-pillow/Pillow/pull/10093",
      "source": "[email protected]",
      "tags": [
        "Issue Tracking"
      ]
    },
    {
      "url": "https://github.com/python-pillow/Pillow/releases/tag/13.0.0",
      "source": "[email protected]",
      "tags": [
        "Release Notes"
      ]
    },
    {
      "url": "https://github.com/python-pillow/Pillow/security/advisories/GHSA-mrfp-p49p-3hf2",
      "source": "[email protected]",
      "tags": [
        "Vendor Advisory"
      ]
    },
    {
      "url": "https://github.com/python-pillow/Pillow/security/advisories/GHSA-mrfp-p49p-3hf2",
      "source": "134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0",
      "tags": [
        "Vendor Advisory"
      ]
    }
  ]
}