How severe is CVE-2021-28678?

CVE-2021-28678 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.5, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.

Is CVE-2021-28678 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (50th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2021-28678?

CVE-2021-28678 primarily affects Python Pillow. In total, 2 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2021-28678?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.

When was CVE-2021-28678 published?

CVE-2021-28678 was published on 2021-06-02 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2021-28678

CVE-2021-28678 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Python Pillow with a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.5. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-345.

Key facts

Severity: Medium (CVSS 3.x base score 5.5)
CVSS v2: 4.3
EPSS exploit prediction: 1% (50th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-345
Affected product: Python Pillow
Published: 2021-06-02
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

An issue was discovered in Pillow before 8.2.0. For BLP data, BlpImagePlugin did not properly check that reads (after jumping to file offsets) returned data. This could lead to a DoS where the decoder could be run a large number of times on empty data.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2021-28678?: An issue was discovered in Pillow before 8.2.0. For BLP data, BlpImagePlugin did not properly check that reads (after jumping to file offsets) returned data. This could lead to a DoS where the decoder could be run a large number of times on empty data.
How severe is CVE-2021-28678?: CVE-2021-28678 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.5, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.
Is CVE-2021-28678 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (50th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2021-28678?: CVE-2021-28678 primarily affects Python Pillow. In total, 2 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2021-28678?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2021-28678 published?: CVE-2021-28678 was published on 2021-06-02 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (2)

cpe:2.3:a:python:pillow:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:33:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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