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PillowApplication · Python

CVE-2021-28675

MEDIUM · 5.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2021-06-02
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 8.2.0 or later.
See remediation →
58/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
No privileges

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
An issue was discovered in Pillow before 8.2.0. PSDImagePlugin.PsdImageFile lacked a sanity check on the number of input layers relative to the size of the data block. This could lead to a DoS on Image.open prior to Image.load.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

In Pillow before 8.2.0, the PSDImagePlugin.PsdImageFile component lacks a sanity check validating that the number of input layers is consistent with the size of the data block. When parsing a maliciously crafted PSD file, this missing validation causes the parser to attempt memory operations beyond bounds, resulting in a denial of service when Image.open() is called prior to Image.load().

MitigationUpgrade Pillow to version 8.2.0 or later, which includes the necessary sanity check for layer count versus data block size.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
PillowApplication
Affected:< 8.2.0
FedoraOperating system
Affected:= 33

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Local
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
Required
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
None
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Check installed Pillow version
    Run 'python -c "import PIL; print(PIL.__version__)"' or 'pip show pillow' to see the installed version
    Affected if The version is lower than 8.2.0
  2. Verify PSDImagePlugin is available
    Run 'python -c "from PIL import PSDImagePlugin; print(PSDImagePlugin.__file__)"' to confirm the module exists
    Affected if Module exists and version is below 8.2.0
  3. Identify PSD file processing in your code
    Search your codebase for patterns like 'Image.open()' with '.psd' files, or grep for 'PSDImageFile' or 'psd' file extensions in your Python files
    Affected if Your code or automated processes open or parse .psd files using Pillow and the installed version is below 8.2.0
  4. Check dependencies for Pillow version
    Run 'pip freeze | grep -i pillow' or check your requirements.txt/setup.py for Pillow version constraints
    Affected if A Pillow version constraint specifies < 8.2.0 or does not pin a safe version

You are affected if you run any version of Pillow below 8.2.0 and your environment processes or may process PSD files using PIL/Pillow's Image.open().

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

From vendor data
Upgrade available Upgrade to 8.2.0 or later
Fixed in 8.2.0
Interim mitigation

Upgrade Pillow to version 8.2.0 or later, which includes the necessary sanity check for layer count versus data block size.

Fix this in Pillow Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation1.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
6.0 hours of engineering $1,040
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,664.

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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2021-28675 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data