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Vulnerabilities

Security fix · CVE-2026-96778

Pillow is a Python imaging library.

Published Oct 21, 2026 · catalog updated Oct 28, 2026 · Pillow is a Python

Last checked Oct 31, 2026. A connected source was read within the last 7 days.

Check if you run it

No confirmed exploitation is on record for CVE-2026-96778. EPSS is 0.45%. Act only if a listed version of Pillow is a Python is installed.

Gaps on this record

  • The stored product name is a package slug. The name on this page is taken from the title (Pillow is a Python).
  • No vendor fix or required action is stored. Compare the linked advisory before you change production.

Same product and reporting

Severity
High8.1
Known exploitation
Not in CISA/VulnCheck KEV
EPSS
0.45%
Remediation
Version ranges on file
Affected products
Debian:12 pillow · Debian:13 pillow · Debian:14 pillow · cpe python/pillow · pip Pillow · pypi pillow

A heap buffer overflow in Pillow's JPEG encoder lets anyone who can supply an image write up to 64 KB of bytes they choose, followed by the rest of the compressed image, past the end of a 64 KB heap buffer. The target is any application that re-saves the image as JPEG while keeping its colour profile. The reliable result is that the Python process is killed outright rather than raising an exception. Because the overwritten memory sits directly in front of function pointers that the encoder calls next, this could allow code execution, though the attached reproducer demonstrates only the crash. The bug is in in . State 4 (line 330) calls for the COM comment marker without checking that the output buffer has room. Meanwhile, sizes that buffer from the EXIF and ICC/XMP data only and reserves nothing for the comment. When a 65498-byte ICC profile fills the 65536-byte buffer exactly, libjpeg's stores one byte past the end and then decrements from 0. The counter wraps, so the marker, the comment and the entire compressed image are written out of bounds. Triggering it takes only a valid JPEG (or PNG) carrying that profile and any comment, passed through and then . That is the documented way to preserve colour. The comment is forwarded from automatically, and no non-default setting is involved. The attached reproducer re-saves such a file on the stock build, and the process dies with SIGSEGV. An identical file without the comment saves normally. An ASan build of Pillow will not flag this, because the stray writes happen inside the system libjpeg-turbo. Valgrind does report it, as an invalid write immediately after the 65569-byte allocation. The unguarded call was introduced in e50ae85ea406 ("Use jpeg_write_marker to write comment", 2022-12-05) and first shipped in 9.4.0. ## Details ( ) is a resumable state machine that fills a caller-supplied output buffer of bytes and returns when it is full. State 4 writes the JPEG COM marker with without first checking that the buffer has

Are you affected?

Enter the version you run. The result uses only the ranges stored on this record.

The check returns affected, not affected, or incomplete. It does not guess a version that is missing from the record.

  • Debian:12 pillow10.0.0-1, 10.1.0-1, 10.2.0-1
  • Debian:13 pillow11.1.0-5, 11.1.0-5+deb13u1, 11.1.0-5+deb13u2
  • Debian:14 pillow11.1.0-5, 11.2.1-1, 11.3.0-1
  • cpe python/pillow< 13.0.0
  • pip Pillow>= 9.4.0, < 13.0.0
  • pypi pillowversion unspecified

How to fix CVE-2026-96778

What to do

Three questions, each answered from this record only. Confirm the vendor advisory before you patch.

Should you patch?

No confirmed exploitation is on record for CVE-2026-96778. EPSS is 0.45%. Act only if a listed version of Pillow is a Python is installed.

Which versions are affected?

Compare what you have installed with Pillow >= 9.4.0, < 13.0.0. Compare the installed version with the linked vendor advisory before you change production.

What should an analyst verify?

CWE-787: Out-of-bounds Write. EPSS 0.45%. There is no CISA KEV listing. No Exploit-DB or Metasploit reference is linked. Use the source links for the original advisory.

Technology hubs

Debian securityPillow security

Code

The project this record applies to. Exploit listings stay in References.

Timeline

Detection, updates, and resolution for this record.

  1. Oct 21, 2026 · NIST NVD

    Detected

    Pillow is a Python imaging library. From 9.4.0 until 13.0.0, ImagingJpegEncode() in src/libImaging/JpegEncode.c can call jpeg_write_marker() for a JPEG COM comment when an ICC profile has exactly filled the 65536-byte encoder buffer. libjpeg writes one byte before checking the exhausted free_in_buffer counter, which then wraps and permits the attacker-controlled comment and subsequent compressed i

  2. Oct 22, 2026 · GitHub Advisory Database

    Updated

    A heap buffer overflow in Pillow's JPEG encoder lets anyone who can supply an image write up to 64 KB of bytes they choose, followed by the rest of the compressed image, past the end of a 64 KB heap buffer. The target is any application that re-saves the image as JPEG while keeping its colour profile. The reliable result is that the Python process is killed outright rather than raising an exceptio

  3. Oct 28, 2026 · NIST NVD

    Updated

    Pillow is a Python imaging library. From 9.4.0 until 13.0.0, ImagingJpegEncode() in src/libImaging/JpegEncode.c can call jpeg_write_marker() for a JPEG COM comment when an ICC profile has exactly filled the 65536-byte encoder buffer. libjpeg writes one byte before checking the exhausted free_in_buffer counter, which then wraps and permits the attacker-controlled comment and subsequent compressed i

Sources

  • CVE.orgVulnerability recordCVE-2026-96778

    Official CVE identifier

    cve.org
  • FIRST EPSSExploitation probabilityCVE-2026-96778

    30-day exploitation probability 0.45%

    first.org
  • GitHub Advisory DatabasePackage advisoryGHSA-g7cr-3p24-7wf7

    Pillow: Heap buffer overflow writing JPEG comment after ICC profile fills buffer

    github.com
  • GitLab Advisory DatabasePackage advisoryCVE-2026-96778

    ============================================================================ Heap buffer overflow writing JPEG comment after ICC profile fills buffer Location: src/libImaging/JpegEncode.c:330 in ImagingJpegEncode() Commit: a707c6b21c313880d0771e54965d142dd42358b6 ============================================================================ A heap buffer overflow in Pillow's JPEG encoder lets anyone

    advisories.gitlab.com
  • NIST NVDVulnerability recordCVE-2026-96778

    Pillow is a Python imaging library. From 9.4.0 until 13.0.0, ImagingJpegEncode() in src/libImaging/JpegEncode.c can call jpeg_write_marker() for a JPEG COM comment when an ICC profile has exactly filled the 65536-byte encoder buffer. libjpeg writes one byte before checking the ex

    nvd.nist.gov
  • OpenCVEVendor advisoryCVE-2026-96778

    CVE-2026-96778 is named on the public OpenCVE page.

    opencve.io
  • OpenSSF OSV / OSV ScannerPackage advisoryDEBIAN-CVE-2026-96778
    osv.dev
  • Red Hat Security DataVendor advisoryCVE-2026-96778

    pillow: pillow: Arbitrary code execution via JPEG encoder buffer overflow

    access.redhat.com

References

Freshness

Last verified in this catalog Oct 31, 2026. Significant claims (KEV, EPSS, CVSS, affected ranges) come from the source rows above — open the original publisher for the authoritative advisory.

  • FIRST EPSSOct 28, 2026
  • OpenSSF OSV / OSV ScannerOct 28, 2026
  • NIST NVDOct 28, 2026
  • OpenCVEOct 28, 2026
  • GitLab Advisory DatabaseOct 23, 2026
  • GitHub Advisory DatabaseOct 23, 2026
  • Red Hat Security DataOct 23, 2026
  • CVE.orgOct 22, 2026