PillowApplication · Python
CVE-2022-22817
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 · uneditedPIL.ImageMath.eval in Pillow before 9.0.0 allows evaluation of arbitrary expressions, such as ones that use the Python exec method. A lambda expression could also be used.
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 confidenceThe PIL.ImageMath.eval function in Pillow before version 9.0.0 improperly validates input, allowing attackers to pass arbitrary Python expressions that can execute code via the exec method or lambda expressions. This enables remote code execution with the privileges of the process using the library.
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
< 9.0.1
Debian LinuxOperating system
= 9.0= 10.0= 11.0CVSS 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
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Check installed Pillow versionRun 'pip show pillow' or 'pip list | grep -i pillow' to see the installed version numberAffected if Version is below 9.0.1 (e.g., 9.0.0, 8.x.x, or earlier)
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Identify code using PIL.ImageMath.evalSearch project source files for imports of 'ImageMath' and usage of '.eval(' (e.g., grep -r 'ImageMath' and grep -r '\.eval(')Affected if Code calls ImageMath.eval() with any user-controlled input
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Audit input sources to ImageMath.evalReview where the arguments to ImageMath.eval come from: check if they originate from HTTP requests, file uploads, command-line arguments, or other untrusted sourcesAffected if Any expression passed to ImageMath.eval can be influenced by external users or untrusted data
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Check for unsafe expression handling patternsLook for patterns like ImageMath.eval(user_variable) or ImageMath.eval(expression_from_request) in the codebaseAffected if The code passes unsanitized variables directly to the eval function without validation or allowlist filtering
You are affected if Pillow version is below 9.0.1 AND your code passes any user-provided or untrusted input to PIL.ImageMath.eval().
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
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.
dbcve · scoped9.0.1
Upgrade Pillow to version 9.0.0 or later. If upgrading is not feasible, ensure no untrusted user input is passed to PIL.ImageMath.eval and consider input validation or sandboxing as a temporary measure.
Pillow >= 9.0.1
- Check the current installed version of Pillow using: pip show pillow or pip list | grep -i pillow
- Upgrade Pillow to version 9.0.1 or later using: pip install --upgrade 'Pillow>=9.0.1'
- Verify the upgrade was successful by checking the installed version again
- If using a system package manager (e.g., apt, yum), update the system package for python3-pillow to the patched version available in your distribution's security updates
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
Fix this in Pillow
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation1.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,144.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2022-22817 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2022-22817 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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