7.1

CVE-2026-96643: Pillow: PNG eXIf chunk makes EXIF parsing run in quadratic time

Analyzed
AliasesDEBIAN-CVE-2026-96643GHSA-g4qv-2jxx-769hCGA-4fr7-p6fq-3gm3
Published 21-10-2026Last modified 23-10-2026

Vulnerability summary

CVE-2026-96643 is a high (CVSS 7.1) Inefficient Algorithmic Complexity vulnerability in python-pillow pillow. EPSS estimates a 0.37% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 31.3% of scored vulnerabilities.

Priority
Routine

Not severe (CVSS 7.1, network access); no exploitation reported by the 5 checked sources

Source freshness unavailable

How is this decided?
CVSS score
7.1/10
010
High · v4.0 (CVE.org)
EPSS score
0.37%
0%100%
Low · Change unavailable
KEVNot listedNot listed by any tracked catalog.
RansomwareNot flaggedNo ransomware use recorded.
Public exploits0No public exploits recorded

Timeline

  1. 21-10-2026
    PublishedVulnerability first disclosed.
  2. 23-10-2026
    Last modifiedVulnerability information updated.

Description

Pillow is a Python imaging library. From 11.0.0 until 13.0.0, Exif.load() in src/PIL/Image.py repeatedly slices the remaining EXIF data while it begins with the six-byte Exif header. src/PIL/PngImagePlugin.py accepts an uncapped PNG eXIf chunk, so a file filled with repeated headers causes a new shrinking copy on every iteration and quadratic CPU work. The condition is reachable through Image.getexif(), Image._getexif(), and ImageOps.exif_transpose(), including common photo-upload rotation workflows. This issue is fixed in version 13.0.0.

CVSS metrics

9 scores · 7 sources · 2 versions

EPSS trend

Probability

0.37%

Chance of exploitation in the next 30 days

Percentile

31%

Versus all other CVEs

30-day change

Change unavailable

Change unavailable

22-10-202603-11-2026

Known exploited

Compare KEV catalogs
CISA KEV

Not in the CISA KEV catalog.

ENISA CNW

Not in the ENISA CNW catalog.

CIRCL

Not in the CIRCL catalog.

Public exploits

0 found

No public exploits indexed.

Weaknesses

CWE · root cause

Affected systems

Version check

Known conditions: network-reachable, no authentication, user interaction (CVSS vector). Other conditions: not stated in public data.

Chainguard20 products
  • mlflowAll versions (No fix recorded) | < 3.17.2-r2
  • mlflow-fipsAll versions (No fix recorded) | < 3.17.2-r3
  • nemo-gymAll versions (No fix recorded) | < 0.5.0_rc0_git20260729-r6
  • nemo-rl-cuda-13.0All versions (No fix recorded) | < 0.7.0-r11
  • nemo-rl-cuda-13.0-automodelAll versions (No fix recorded) | < 0.7.0-r11
Wolfi3 products
  • mlflowAll versions (No fix recorded)
  • open-webuiAll versions (No fix recorded)
  • py3.10-pillowAll versions (No fix recorded)
Ubuntu2 products
  • pillowAll versions (No fix recorded)
  • pillow-python2All versions (No fix recorded)
Debian1 product
  • pillowAll versions (No fix recorded)
PyPI1 product
  • pillow≥ 11.0.0, < 13.0.0
Python1 product
Python-pillow1 product

7 vendors · 29 products

References

10 links