Manipulated inline images can cause Infinite Loop in PyPDF2
Impact
An attacker who uses this vulnerability can craft a PDF which leads to an infinite loop if the PyPDF2 user wrote the following code:
from PyPDF2 import PdfFileReader, PdfFileWriter
from PyPDF2.pdf import ContentStream
reader = PdfFileReader("malicious.pdf", strict=False)
for page in reader.pages:
ContentStream(page.getContents(), reader)Patches
PyPDF2==1.27.5 and later are patched.
Credits to Sebastian Krause for finding (issue) and fixing (PR) it.
Affected software
Click a technology to see all vulnerabilities affecting it.
| Platform | Package | Vulnerable versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Python (PyPI) | pypdf2 | < 1.27.5 | 1.27.5 |
References
- https://github.com/py-pdf/PyPDF2/security/advisories/GHSA-xcjx-m2pj-8g79
- https://github.com/py-pdf/PyPDF2/pull/740
- https://github.com/py-pdf/PyPDF2/issues/329
- https://github.com/py-pdf/PyPDF2/releases/tag/1.27.5
- https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-24859
- https://github.com/py-pdf/PyPDF2
- https://github.com/pypa/advisory-database/tree/main/vulns/pypdf2/PYSEC-2022-194.yaml
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2022/06/msg00001.html
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2023/06/msg00013.html
- CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H- Weakness (CWE)
CWE-835- Platform
- Python (PyPI)
- Package
pypdf2- Disclosed
- 18.04.2022
- Updated
- 11.10.2026 11:20
Sources and licenses
OSV / GitHub Advisory Database - PYSEC-2022-194 - PyPA Advisory Database; CC BY 4.0
OSV / GitHub Advisory Database - GHSA-xcjx-m2pj-8g79 - CC BY 4.0
Vulnerability history: pypdf2
All published vulnerabilities of this package (Python (PyPI)), newest first. Shows whether this is a one-off slip or a package that needs watching.
- Total entries
- 4
- First → latest
- 04.2022 06.2023
- Without a fix
- 1
- Exploited in attacks
- 0
Severity breakdown
- Medium 4
Disclosures per year
- 2022: 1
- 2023: 3
- 2024: 0
- 2025: 0
- 2026: 0
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Manipulated inline images can cause Infinite Loop in PyPDF2 this entry
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