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CVE-2026-96640

7.5 · HIGH

Pillow is a Python imaging library.

Published Oct 21, 2026pythonCWE-400EPSS 0.60%

Overview

CVE-2026-96640 is a high-severity vulnerability affecting python pillow. It was published on October 21, 2026 and has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.5 (HIGH).

This vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.5, rated HIGH. It can be exploited remotely over the network. No authentication or special privileges are required for exploitation.

Technical 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.

Remediation

Check the references section for vendor advisories and patches from python. Update pillow to the latest patched version. If immediate patching is not possible, review the CVSS vector to understand the attack surface and apply compensating controls such as network segmentation or access restrictions.

Affected products

VendorProductVersionsStatus
pythonpillow>= 5.1.0, < 13.0.0Affected

References

GitHubgithub.com/python-pillow/Pillow/commit/6f0e7ee1f9c2fe227906f8a4b926e6622b702bc7GitHubgithub.com/python-pillow/Pillow/pull/10093GitHubgithub.com/python-pillow/Pillow/releases/tag/13.0.0GitHubgithub.com/python-pillow/Pillow/security/advisories/GHSA-mrfp-p49p-3hf2GitHubgithub.com/python-pillow/Pillow/security/advisories/GHSA-mrfp-p49p-3hf2

How CyberStrike helps

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2026-96640?

CVE-2026-96640 is a high-severity vulnerability affecting python pillow. It was published on October 21, 2026 and has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.5 (HIGH).

How severe is CVE-2026-96640?

This vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.5, rated HIGH. It can be exploited remotely over the network. No authentication or special privileges are required for exploitation.

How do I fix or remediate CVE-2026-96640?

Check the references section for vendor advisories and patches from python. Update pillow to the latest patched version. If immediate patching is not possible, review the CVSS vector to understand the attack surface and apply compensating controls such as network segmentation or access restrictions.

How can CyberStrike help with CVE-2026-96640?

CyberStrike is an open-source, AI-augmented pentesting engine. Rather than flag a version number, it tests whether an issue like CVE-2026-96640 is actually reachable in your own applications and APIs, then verifies each finding before reporting it. That tells you if the weakness is a real, exploitable risk in your environment or a false positive you can safely deprioritize.

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