CVE-2026-119208
pypdf: Possible long runtimes/large memory usage for encrypted PDF files
pypdf is a free and open-source pure-python PDF library. Prior to 6.21.3, pypdf can consume excessive time and memory when an application accesses the page count of a crafted encrypted PDF whose page tree declares a forged /Count value. Even after successful decryption, page-count retrieval trusts the unvalidated declared count instead of walking the page tree, allowing the attacker-controlled value to drive excessive work and memory use. This issue is fixed in version 6.21.3.
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges needed
- None
- User interaction
- Passive
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- None
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- High
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
CVE List Score used
pypdf: Possible long runtimes/large memory usage for encrypted PDF files
pypdf is a free and open-source pure-python PDF library. Prior to 6.21.3, pypdf can consume excessive time and memory when an application accesses the page count of a crafted encrypted PDF whose page tree declares a forged /Count value. Even after successful decryption, page-count retrieval trusts the unvalidated declared count instead of walking the page tree, allowing the attacker-controlled value to drive excessive work and memory use. This issue is fixed in version 6.21.3.
- Record
CVE-2026-119208- CVSS 4.0
- 7.1 High
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:P/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N - Weakness
- CWE-400
- Updated
- 2026-11-04
EUVDEUVD-2026-113380
pypdf is a free and open-source pure-python PDF library. Prior to 6.21.3, pypdf can consume excessive time and memory when an application accesses the page count of a crafted encrypted PDF whose page tree declares a forged /Count value. Even after successful decryption, page-count retrieval trusts the unvalidated declared count instead of walking the page tree, allowing the attacker-controlled value to drive excessive work and memory use. This issue is fixed in version 6.21.3.
- Record
EUVD-2026-113380- CVSS 4.0
- 7.1 High
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:P/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N - Updated
- 2026-11-04
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-62m5-6wh8-28x7
pypdf has possible long runtimes/large memory usage for encrypted PDF files
Impact
An attacker who uses this vulnerability can craft a PDF which leads to large runtimes/memory usage. This requires accessing the page count of an encrypted PDF file, which itself declares a wrong /Count value.
Patches
This has been fixed in pypdf==6.21.3.
Workarounds
If you cannot upgrade yet, consider applying the changes from PR #4270.
- Record
GHSA-62m5-6wh8-28x7- CVSS 4.0
- 7.1 High
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:P/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N - Weakness
- CWE-400, CWE-770
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
NVD
pypdf is a free and open-source pure-python PDF library. Prior to 6.21.3, pypdf can consume excessive time and memory when an application accesses the page count of a crafted encrypted PDF whose page tree declares a forged /Count value. Even after successful decryption, page-count retrieval trusts the unvalidated declared count instead of walking the page tree, allowing the attacker-controlled value to drive excessive work and memory use. This issue is fixed in version 6.21.3.
- Record
CVE-2026-119208- CVSS 4.0
- 7.1 High
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:P/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 - CVSS 3.1
- 5.5 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-400
- Updated
- 2026-11-04
OSV
pypdf: Possible long runtimes/large memory usage for encrypted PDF files
pypdf is a free and open-source pure-python PDF library. Prior to 6.21.3, pypdf can consume excessive time and memory when an application accesses the page count of a crafted encrypted PDF whose page tree declares a forged /Count value. Even after successful decryption, page-count retrieval trusts the unvalidated declared count instead of walking the page tree, allowing the attacker-controlled value to drive excessive work and memory use. This issue is fixed in version 6.21.3.
- Record
CVE-2026-119208- CVSS 4.0
- 7.1 High
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:P/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N - Weakness
- CWE-400
- Updated
- 2026-11-07
OSVDEBIAN-CVE-2026-119208
pypdf is a free and open-source pure-python PDF library. Prior to 6.21.3, pypdf can consume excessive time and memory when an application accesses the page count of a crafted encrypted PDF whose page tree declares a forged /Count value. Even after successful decryption, page-count retrieval trusts the unvalidated declared count instead of walking the page tree, allowing the attacker-controlled value to drive excessive work and memory use. This issue is fixed in version 6.21.3.
- Record
DEBIAN-CVE-2026-119208- CVSS 3.1
- 5.5 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H - Updated
- 2026-11-06
Show 4 moreShow less
OSVGHSA-62m5-6wh8-28x7
pypdf has possible long runtimes/large memory usage for encrypted PDF files
Impact
An attacker who uses this vulnerability can craft a PDF which leads to large runtimes/memory usage. This requires accessing the page count of an encrypted PDF file, which itself declares a wrong /Count value.
Patches
This has been fixed in pypdf==6.21.3.
Workarounds
If you cannot upgrade yet, consider applying the changes from PR #4270.
- Record
GHSA-62m5-6wh8-28x7- CVSS 4.0
- 7.1 High
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:P/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N - Weakness
- CWE-400, CWE-770
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVUBUNTU-CVE-2026-119208
pypdf is a free and open-source pure-python PDF library. Prior to 6.21.3, pypdf can consume excessive time and memory when an application accesses the page count of a crafted encrypted PDF whose page tree declares a forged /Count value. Even after successful decryption, page-count retrieval trusts the unvalidated declared count instead of walking the page tree, allowing the attacker-controlled value to drive excessive work and memory use. This issue is fixed in version 6.21.3.
- Record
UBUNTU-CVE-2026-119208- CVSS 4.0
- 7.1 High
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:P/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N - CVSS 3.1
- 5.5 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H - Updated
- 2026-11-05
OSVCLSA-2026-1793872631 No score
TuxCare security update for pypdf (6 CVEs)
TuxCare rebuilt pypdf to address 6 CVEs. Fixed in 5.9.0.post22+tuxcare.
- Record
CLSA-2026-1793872631- Updated
- 2026-11-05
OSVopenSUSE-SU-2026:22219-1 No score
Security update for python-pypdf
This update for python-pypdf fixes the following issues:
Changes in python-pypdf:
- CVE-2026-119209: negative /Index values and multiplied xref streams can lead to clamp bypass and server memory exhaustion (bsc#1288950)
- CVE-2026-119208: trusting forged /Count values in encrypted PDF page trees can lead to excessive resource consumption and denial of service (bsc#1288951)
- CVE-2026-119207: nested exception text accumulation in strict mode parsing can lead to memory amplification and application denial of service (bsc#1288952)
- CVE-2026-119206: repeated sequential /Nums scanning in page_labels resolution can lead to algorithmic complexity attacks and denial of service (bsc#1288944)
- CVE-2026-119205: misdirected reference tracking during dictionary cloning can lead to cycle-detection bypass and thread-hanging infinite loops (bsc#1288943)
- CVE-2026-119204: unbounded resource entry copying during page-tree flattening can lead to excessive memory allocation and denial of service (bsc#1288942)
- CVE-2026-119203: unterminated trailer search in incomplete cross-reference tables can lead to an infinite loop and thread-blocking denial of service (bsc#1288941)
- Record
openSUSE-SU-2026:22219-1- Updated
- 2026-11-04
Affected products
Affected packages
| Package | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|
pypdfPyPI |
before 6.21.3 | 6.21.3 |
pypdfTuxCare:PyPI From an advisory covering 6 CVEs |
5.9.0 up to 5.9.0.post22+tuxcare, plus listed versions 5.9.0.post1+tuxcare5.9.0.post10+tuxcare5.9.0.post11+tuxcare5.9.0.post12+tuxcare5.9.0.post13+tuxcare Show 16 moreShow less5.9.0.post14+tuxcare5.9.0.post15+tuxcare5.9.0.post16+tuxcare5.9.0.post17+tuxcare5.9.0.post18+tuxcare5.9.0.post19+tuxcare5.9.0.post2+tuxcare5.9.0.post20+tuxcare5.9.0.post21+tuxcare5.9.0.post3+tuxcare5.9.0.post4+tuxcare5.9.0.post5+tuxcare5.9.0.post6+tuxcare5.9.0.post7+tuxcare5.9.0.post8+tuxcare5.9.0.post9+tuxcare |
5.9.0.post22+tuxcare |
pypdfDebian:12 |
All versions, plus listed versions 3.17.4-13.4.1-13.4.1-1+deb12u14.0.0-14.0.0-1~exp1 Show 13 moreShow less4.0.1-14.0.2-14.1.0-14.2.0-14.3.1-15.4.0-16.19.0-16.21.0-16.21.1-16.21.4-16.9.0-16.9.2-16.9.2-2 |
None known |
pypdfDebian:13 |
All versions, plus listed versions 5.4.0-16.19.0-16.21.0-16.21.1-16.21.4-16.9.0-16.9.2-16.9.2-2 |
None known |
pypdfDebian:14 |
before 6.21.4-1, plus listed versions 5.4.0-16.19.0-16.21.0-16.21.1-16.9.0-16.9.2-16.9.2-2 |
6.21.4-1 |
pypdf2Debian:12 |
All versions, plus listed versions 2.12.1-32.12.1-3+deb12u12.12.1-4 |
None known |
pypdfPyPI |
before 6.21.3, plus listed versions 1.01.11.101.111.12 Show 45 moreShow less1.131.21.31.41.51.61.71.81.93.1.03.10.03.11.03.11.13.12.03.12.13.12.23.13.03.14.03.15.03.15.13.15.23.15.33.15.43.15.53.16.03.16.13.16.23.16.33.16.43.17.03.17.13.17.23.17.33.17.43.2.03.2.13.3.03.4.03.4.13.5.03.5.13.5.23.6.03.7.03.7.1 |
6.21.3 |
pypdfUbuntu:24.04:LTS |
All versions, plus listed versions 3.4.1-13.17.4-14.0.0-14.0.1-14.0.2-1 |
None known |
pypdfUbuntu:26.10 |
All versions, plus listed versions 6.9.2-16.9.2-2 |
None known |
pypdfUbuntu:26.04:LTS |
All versions, plus listed versions 5.4.0-16.9.2-1 |
None known |
python-pypdfopenSUSE:Leap 16.0 From an advisory covering 7 CVEs |
before 6.19.0-bp160.3.1 | 6.19.0-bp160.3.1 |
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| affected | ||
| affected | OSV | |
| affected, aliases | OSV | |
| affected, aliases, references | EUVD, NVD, OSV | |
| facts | CVE List | |
| affected | OSV | |
| first indexed | CVE List, EUVD, GitHub Advisories, NVD, OSV |
Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.
In short
CVE-2026-119208 is a high vulnerability (CVSS 7.1) in Py-pdf Pypdf, published October 29, 2026. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.22%, the 12th percentile. Fixed in pypdf 6.21.3.
References
github.com/py-pdf/pypdf/security/advisories/GHSA-62m5-6wh8-28x7
nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-119208
Show 19 moreShow less
security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2026-119208
ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2026-119208
cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-119208
bugzilla.suse.com/1288941
suse.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-119203
Left out here: 75 versions. The JSON record has them.