pypdf: Possible long runtimes/large memory usage when parsing indirect objects
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Network
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Attack requirements
- None
- Impact type
- Denial of service
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- None · None · High
- Fix status
- Partial Red Hat: 2 fixed, 6 without a fix
Attack profile from CVSS 4.0 · CNA. Fix status from CNA, GitHub and Red Hat. Impact type from CWE-400.
Summary
pypdf is a free and open-source pure-python PDF library. Prior to 6.18.0, a crafted PDF containing indirect-object identifiers or generation-number tokens that continue for a long time without whitespace can cause pypdf/_reader.py and pypdf/generic/_base.py to scan excessive input through read_until_whitespace, resulting in long runtimes and application unavailability. This issue is fixed in version 6.18.0.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- None
- Automatable
- Yes
- Technical impact
- Partial
The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| py-pdf | pypdf | before 6.18.0 | 6.18.0 | Patch available | CNA |
| — | pypdf (PyPI) | before 6.18.0 | 6.18.0 | Patch available | GHSA-5jq2-8x83-x246 |
- pypdf Vendorpy-pdf Affected before 6.18.0 Fixed in 6.18.0 Patch available CNA
- pypdf (PyPI) Vendor— Affected before 6.18.0 Fixed in 6.18.0 Patch available GHSA-5jq2-8x83-x246
Remediation
- Fix · CNA pypdf (py-pdf) Fixed in 6.18.0
- Fix · GHSA-5jq2-8x83-x246 pypdf (PyPI) Fixed in 6.18.0 Advisory →
Red Hat 2 advisories
- RHSA-2026:85980 Released 2026-10-20 · Red Hat rating ImportantRed Hat Quay 3.18.2
- Red Hat Quay 3.18 registry.redhat.io/quay/quay-rhel9
- RHSA-2026:83822 Released 2026-10-16 · Red Hat rating ImportantRed Hat Quay 3.17.6
- Red Hat Quay 3.17 registry.redhat.io/quay/quay-rhel9
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Important. Red Hat's page for this CVE →
| Product | Status | Plan or fix |
|---|---|---|
| Ansible Automation Orchestrator 2026 | Affected | No fix yet |
| Lightspeed Core | Affected | No fix yet |
| Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform 2 | Affected | No fix planned: Will not fix |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux AI (RHEL AI) 3 | Affected | No fix yet |
| Red Hat OpenShift AI (RHOAI) | Affected | No fix yet |
| Red Hat Quay 3 | Affected | No fix yet |
| Red Hat Quay 3.17 | Fixed | RHSA-2026:83822 |
| Red Hat Quay 3.18 | Fixed | RHSA-2026:85980 |
Not affected: 3 products
- OpenShift Lightspeed
- Red Hat Quay 3.17
- Red Hat Quay 3.18
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-102994
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-5jq2-8x83-x246
- 2026-10-05 CVSS score added · NVD
- 2026-10-18 Fix available: RHSA-2026:83822 · Red Hat
- 2026-10-18 Fix available: Red Hat Quay 3.17 · Red Hat
- 2026-10-20 Fix available: RHSA-2026:85980 · Red Hat
- 2026-10-21 Fix available: Red Hat Quay 3.18 · Red Hat
References
Patch 2
Advisory 2
More py-pdf Pypdf vulnerabilities
- TI-2023-18601 Infinite Loop when reading malformed objects in pypdf CVSS 3.1MEDIUM 6.5
- TI-2023-18305 Infinite Loop when a comment isn't followed by a character in pypdf CVSS 3.1MEDIUM 6.2
- TI-2026-42743 pypdf: Possible infinite loop for not terminated inline images CVSS 4.0HIGH 8.7
- TI-2026-42742 pypdf: Possible infinite loop for not terminated inline images (ASCII85 and ASCIIHex filter) CVSS 4.0HIGH 8.7
- TI-2026-65557 pypdf: Possible large memory usage when retrieving alphabetical page labels CVSS 4.0HIGH 8.7
- TI-2026-65556 pypdf: Possible long runtimes with large amount of embedded files CVSS 4.0HIGH 8.7
Sources
- CVE-2026-102994 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-102994 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-5jq2-8x83-x246 · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2026-102994 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences