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GHSA-763m-79hh-57f2 CVE-2026-84311 PYSEC-2026-3911

pypdf: Possible long runtimes/large memory usage when extracting XForm objects

Low PyPI
Severity
0.0 / 10
Low · CVSS 4.0
Exploit chance (EPSS)
0.14%
Chance of exploitation in the next 30 days. Higher than 2.93% of scored vulnerabilities.
Known exploited
No
Not in CISA's catalog
Weakness
CWE-834 Excessive Iteration
Fix
6.16.1
Upgrade pypdf to this version or later

Description

Impact

An attacker who uses this vulnerability can craft a PDF which leads to long runtimes and large memory consumption. This requires extracting the text of a page with lots of XForm objects, where some of them might be re-used.

Patches

This has been fixed in pypdf==6.16.1.

Workarounds

If you cannot upgrade yet, consider applying the changes from PR #3966.

Affected versions

PyPI

PackageVulnerableFixed in
pypdf
< 6.16.1
6.16.1

How to fix

Move to the fixed version or later with your package manager, update the lockfile, and run your tests. If the package only arrives through another dependency, upgrade that dependency first. If none of its releases pulls a fixed version yet, force the version with your package manager's override.

pypdf PyPI → 6.16.1

pip
pip install --upgrade "pypdf>=6.16.1"
poetry
poetry add "pypdf>=6.16.1"
uv
uv add "pypdf>=6.16.1"

Severity breakdown

CVSS 4.0 0.0

CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:P/VC:N/VI:N/VA:L/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N

Attack vector
Local
Attack complexity
Low
Attack requirements
None
Privileges required
None
User interaction
Passive
Confidentiality (vulnerable system)
None
Integrity (vulnerable system)
None
Availability (vulnerable system)
Low
Confidentiality (subsequent systems)
None
Integrity (subsequent systems)
None
Availability (subsequent systems)
None

CVSS 3.1 3.3

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L

Attack vector
Local
Attack complexity
Low
Privileges required
None
User interaction
Required
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
None
Availability
Low

Weakness

CWE-834: Excessive Iteration

The product performs an iteration or loop without sufficiently limiting the number of times that the loop is executed.

References

Timeline

  1. Published
  2. Last updated by the source
  3. Latest EPSS score
AdvisorySeverityWhy it's related
GHSA-5849-834g-hvw5
pypdf has possible infinite loop when hitting EOF in standard xref table during trailer search
High Also affects pypdf
GHSA-cggf-277g-3q54
pypdf has possible large memory usage when parsing page tree
High Also affects pypdf
GHSA-mfr5-77xh-9j7h
pypdf has possible infinite loop when cloning dictionaries
High Also affects pypdf
GHSA-42gh-23hr-vphw
pypdf has possible long runtimes when retrieving page labels
High Also affects pypdf
GHSA-4vqv-7265-gm2w
pypdf has possible large memory usage for exceptions in strict mode
High Also affects pypdf
GHSA-62m5-6wh8-28x7
pypdf has possible long runtimes/large memory usage for encrypted PDF files
High Also affects pypdf
GHSA-x3rh-gjgm-fmqc
pypdf has possible large memory usage when parsing cross-reference streams
High Also affects pypdf
GHSA-jr96-gvgh-j3r4
pypdf: Possible long runtimes for repeated malformed cross-reference entries (Follow-up)
High Also affects pypdf
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