CVE Intelligence
High Denial of service

CVE-2026-119208 — pypdf: Possible long runtimes/large memory usage for encrypted PDF files

pypdf is a free and open-source pure-python PDF library. Prior to 6.21.3, pypdf can consume excessive time and memory when an application accesses the page count of a crafted encrypted PDF whose page tree declares a forged /Count value. Even after successful decryption, page-count retrieval trusts the unvalidated declared count instead of walking the page tree, allowing the attacker-controlled value to drive excessive work and memory use. This issue is fixed in version 6.21.3.

Published Oct 29, 2026 · Updated Oct 30, 2026 · Sources: NIST National Vulnerability Database, CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP · CNA: GitHub_M

Who exploits it and how urgent it is

A 0–100 score combining confirmed exploitation, ransomware and APT use, public exploits, EPSS and severity.

No exploitation signal in the sources consulted so far.
How the score was calculated
  • EPSS 0.3% (30-day exploitation probability)+3
  • Technical severity (high)+6

The score orders the patch queue; it does not replace your asset context (internet exposure, criticality, compensating controls).

Triage

Is it exploited, how likely is exploitation, what does it touch, and how severe do the sources call it.

Exploitation
Not confirmed
Not in CISA KEV — an absence of record, not proof it is unexploited.
EPSS FIRST
0.3%
ahead of 23% of scored CVEs · Oct 30, 2026
Affects
Py-pdf
Pypdf
CVSS base
7.1
High · 2 source(s)

Remediation

Fixes and mitigations documented by the sources — linked to the original advisory.

No fix documented by the sources we poll. That does not mean none exists: check the vendor advisory.

First 24 hours

Ordered from the record’s own fields — exposure first, because you cannot patch what you have not found. A rule-generated starting point.

  1. Identify exposed assets running the affected vendor/product/version combinations (Py-pdf Pypdf).
  2. The attack is network-based and needs no privileges: restrict exposure (ACLs, VPN, WAF) until patched.
  3. No fix documented in the sources: reduce exposure and monitor the vendor advisory.
  4. Exploitation requires user interaction: tighten email/web filtering and warn affected users.
  5. Search available logs for exploit probes matching the vulnerability class (denial of service), errors and authentication anomalies.

Affected scope

Vendor, product and versions as the sources word them.

VendorProductVersionsStatusSource
Py-pdf Pypdf version < 6.21.3 Vulnerable CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP

Attack characteristics

The CVSS vector, decoded. It describes the attack, not your exposure to it.

Attack vector
Network
Attack complexity
Low
Attack requirements
None
Privileges required
None
User interaction
Passive
Scope
X
Confidentiality (vulnerable system)
None
Integrity (vulnerable system)
None
Availability (vulnerable system)
High
Confidentiality (subsequent)
None
Integrity (subsequent)
None
Availability (subsequent)
None

Every base score collected

Sources score independently and may disagree; each row says who scored it and under which version.

ScoreVersionSeverityExpl.ImpactScored by
7.1 CVSS 4.0 High — — security-advisories@github.com via NIST National Vulnerability Database
7.1 CVSS 4.0 High — — GitHub_M via CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:P/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X (score shown at the top: security-advisories@github.com)

Weakness MITRE

Weakness class according to MITRE’s CWE catalog.

CWE-400 · Uncontrolled Resource Consumption

Other CVEs with this weakness →

Detection

Read off the CVSS vector and the weakness class. Starting points, not tested rules.

  • Prioritize edge telemetry for the network-reachable component (proxy, WAF, IDS/IPS).
  • Track CPU/memory spikes and availability drops correlated with request patterns.
web/proxy/WAF logsnetwork IDS/IPSresource metrics

Timeline

What happened to this CVE, newest first.

  • 2026
  • Source status changed · Awaiting Analysis → Undergoing Analysis
    Oct 30, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
  • Source status changed · Received → Awaiting Analysis
    Oct 30, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
  • Affected products added · py-pdf/pypdf
    Oct 29, 2026 · CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP
  • Record published
    Oct 29, 2026
  • CVSS changed · 7.1
    Oct 29, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
  • Source status changed · → Received
    Oct 29, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
  • Record created in this database
    Oct 29, 2026 · Alertas do Telegram
  • CVE published
    Oct 29, 2026 · GitHub_M

Source activity

Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.

  • 1× References added · Oct 29, 2026 – Oct 29, 2026
  • 1× Official description updated · Oct 29, 2026 – Oct 29, 2026

References

4 on the record

Elsewhere on this site

Py-pdf
every CVE for this vendor
Denial of service
same class
CWE-400
other pages naming this weakness

Related CVEs (same products)

  • CVE-2026-119209 pypdf: Possible large memory usage when parsing cross-reference streams 1d
  • CVE-2026-119205 pypdf: Possible infinite loop when cloning dictionaries 1d
  • CVE-2026-119203 pypdf: Possible infinite loop when hitting EOF in standard xref table during trailer search 1d
  • CVE-2026-119204 pypdf: Possible large memory usage when parsing page tree 1d
  • CVE-2026-119206 pypdf: Possible long runtimes when retrieving page labels 1d
  • CVE-2026-119207 pypdf: Possible large memory usage for exceptions in strict mode 1d

Not in any source we poll

Listed rather than left blank: an empty field and an unmeasured one look identical on screen, and only one is a reason to look elsewhere.

  • No fixed version, patch or mitigation documented.
  • No CISA SSVC assessment.
  • No confirmed IOCs, IP addresses, domains, file hashes, or malware artifacts supplied.
  • No organization-specific asset inventory, compensating-control status, or patch deployment evidence supplied.
  • No exploit packet captures, log samples, or incident case IDs supplied.

Answered from this record

Text assembled only from the fields above — no additional claims.

What should defenders know first?

CVE-2026-119208 is "pypdf: Possible long runtimes/large memory usage for encrypted PDF files", rated High. It affects Pypdf (Py-pdf); versions are in the scope table. It is not in CISA KEV, which does not rule out exploitation. CVSS 7.1 describes technical severity. EPSS 0.30% estimates the probability of exploitation in 30 days; neither replaces your asset context. First verify whether exposed or business-critical assets run the affected versions, apply vendor fixes or mitigations, and preserve logs for review.

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