GHSA-4whq-r978-2x68
Arbitrary code execution in ExifTool
GHSA-4whq-r978-2x68 is a high vulnerability (CVSS 7.8) in exiftool-vendored, published May 4, 2021. No source lists public exploit code. Fixed in exiftool-vendored 14.3.0.
- Severity
- 7.8 HighCVSS 3.1, GitHub Advisories
- Exploit chance
- UnscoredNo EPSS score yet
- Exploitation
- None knownNot on CISA’s or ENISA’s lists
- Fixed in
14.3.0exiftool-vendored
Description
Impact
Arbitrary code execution can occur when running exiftool against files with hostile metadata payloads.
Patches
ExifTool has already been patched in version 12.24. exiftool-vendored, which vendors ExifTool, includes this patch in v14.3.0.
Workarounds
No.
References
https://twitter.com/wcbowling/status/1385803927321415687 https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-22204
For more information
If you have any questions or comments about this advisory:
- Open an issue in exiftool-vendored
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges needed
- Low
- User interaction
- None
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
Affected packages
| Package | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|
exiftool-vendorednpm | before 14.3.0 | 14.3.0 |
What each source reports
GitHub Advisories Score used
Arbitrary code execution in ExifTool
Impact
Arbitrary code execution can occur when running exiftool against files with hostile metadata payloads.
Patches
ExifTool has already been patched in version 12.24. exiftool-vendored, which vendors ExifTool, includes this patch in v14.3.0.
Workarounds
No.
References
https://twitter.com/wcbowling/status/1385803927321415687 https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-22204
For more information
If you have any questions or comments about this advisory:
- Open an issue in exiftool-vendored
- Record
GHSA-4whq-r978-2x68- CVSS 3.1
- 7.8 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-74
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSV
Arbitrary code execution in ExifTool
Impact
Arbitrary code execution can occur when running exiftool against files with hostile metadata payloads.
Patches
ExifTool has already been patched in version 12.24. exiftool-vendored, which vendors ExifTool, includes this patch in v14.3.0.
Workarounds
No.
References
https://twitter.com/wcbowling/status/1385803927321415687 https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-22204
For more information
If you have any questions or comments about this advisory:
- Open an issue in exiftool-vendored
- Record
GHSA-4whq-r978-2x68- CVSS 3.1
- 7.8 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-74
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| first indexed | GitHub Advisories, OSV |
Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.