PillowApplication · Python
CVE-2023-50447
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 · uneditedPillow through 10.1.0 allows PIL.ImageMath.eval Arbitrary Code Execution via the environment parameter, a different vulnerability than CVE-2022-22817 (which was about the expression parameter).
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 confidencePillow through 10.1.0 contains a code execution vulnerability in PIL.ImageMath.eval where the environment parameter can be manipulated to execute arbitrary code. This is a distinct vulnerability from CVE-2022-22817 which targeted the expression parameter.
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
<= 10.1.0
Debian LinuxOperating system
= 10.0CVSS 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
- High
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/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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Identify installed Pillow versionRun 'pip show pillow' or 'python -c "import PIL; print(PIL.__version__)"'Affected if Version is 10.1.0 or lower
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Locate code using PIL.ImageMath.evalSearch source code for 'ImageMath.eval' or 'from PIL import ImageMath' patternsAffected if Code imports or uses PIL.ImageMath.eval
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Check for environment parameter usageReview ImageMath.eval calls for the 'environment' keyword argument (e.g., ImageMath.eval(..., environment={...}))Affected if The environment parameter is explicitly used in any ImageMath.eval call
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Assess environment parameter data sourceInspect the source of data passed to the environment parameter in the identified callsAffected if The environment parameter receives data from user input, request parameters, files, or any untrusted external source
A user is affected if Pillow version is 10.1.0 or lower AND their code uses PIL.ImageMath.eval with an environment parameter that can be influenced by untrusted input.
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 · scopedUpgrade Pillow to a version beyond 10.1.0 when available; until then, avoid passing untrusted or user-controlled data to the environment parameter of PIL.ImageMath.eval.
Upgrade to Pillow version 10.2.0 or later (latest stable release)
- 1. Identify all Python applications and services that use the Pillow library
- 2. Run 'pip show pillow' or check your requirements files to confirm the current installed version
- 3. Upgrade Pillow to the latest stable version using: pip install --upgrade Pillow
- 4. Verify the upgrade was successful by running: pip show pillow
- 5. Restart any services or applications that use Pillow to load the new version
- 6. Test that image processing functionality still works correctly in your applications
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
Fix this in Pillow
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $3,328.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-50447 — 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-2023-50447 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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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.
- 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