CVE Intelligence
Critical Memory corruption

CVE-2026-96639 — Pillow multi-frame loaders can reuse stale native image storage after mode transitions

Pillow is a Python imaging library. From 11.0.0 until 13.0.0, multi-frame loaders can retain an ImagingCore allocation created for a narrow frame mode while a later frame of the same dimensions changes the logical mode and decoder tiles to wider RGB or CMYK data. ImageFile.load_prepare() reuses the stale native storage because _im is non-null without verifying that its mode and size still match. Crafted PSD, MPO, DCX, or MIC frame transitions can then write wider pixels into the narrow allocation, causing native out-of-bounds writes and crashes. The MPO path can also cause a native over-read and, in demonstrated runtime-specific profiles, command execution. This issue is fixed in version 13.0.0.

Published Oct 21, 2026 · Updated Oct 29, 2026 · Sources: NIST National Vulnerability Database, CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP, GitHub Security Advisories · 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 0.7% (30-day exploitation probability)+8
  • Technical severity (critical)+10
  • Automatable exploitation (SSVC)+3

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
0.66%
ahead of 51% of scored CVEs · Oct 30, 2026
Affects
Python
Pillow
CVSS base
9.8
Critical · 3 source(s)

CISA SSVC assessment CISA

Three decision points CISA publishes for the CVEs it assesses (SSVC 2.0.3). A stakeholder decision, not a severity score.

Exploitation
None
none · proof-of-concept · active
Automatable
Yes
can an attacker script the kill-chain steps
Technical impact
Total
partial · total control of the vulnerable component

Remediation

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

  • Documented patch — github.com (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
  • Pip Pillow: fixed in version 13.0.0 — github.com (GitHub Security Advisories)

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 (Python Pillow, Python-pillow Pillow, Pip Pillow).
  2. The attack is network-based and needs no privileges: restrict exposure (ACLs, VPN, WAF) until patched.
  3. Apply the fixed version or the patch documented under Remediation.
  4. Search available logs for exploit probes matching the vulnerability class (memory corruption), errors and authentication anomalies.

Affected scope

Vendor, product and versions as the sources word them.

VendorProductVersionsStatusSource
Python Pillow ≥ 11.0.0 and < 13.0.0 Vulnerable NIST National Vulnerability Database
Python-pillow Pillow version >= 11.0.0, < 13.0.0 Vulnerable CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP
Pip Pillow ≥ 11.0.0 and < 13.0.0 Vulnerable GitHub Security Advisories

Attack characteristics

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

Attack vector
Network
Attack complexity
Low
Privileges required
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

Every base score collected

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

ScoreVersionSeverityExpl.ImpactScored by
9.8 CVSS 3.1 Critical 3.9 5.9 security-advisories@github.com via NIST National Vulnerability Database
9.8 CVSS 3.1 Critical — — GitHub, Inc. via GitHub Security Advisories
9.8 CVSS 3.1 Critical — — GitHub_M via CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H (score shown at the top: security-advisories@github.com)

Weakness MITRE

Weakness class according to MITRE’s CWE catalog.

CWE-125 · Out-of-bounds Read

Other CVEs with this weakness →

EPSS over time FIRST

Oct 22, 2026 → Oct 30, 2026 · 9 reading(s) · max 0.67%

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).
  • Correlate service crashes/restarts with inbound traffic; repeated crashes may indicate attempts.
web/proxy/WAF logsnetwork IDS/IPSendpoint telemetry (EDR)crash dumps

Timeline

What happened to this CVE, newest first.

  • 2026
  • SSVC assessment updated
    Oct 29, 2026 · CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP
  • Fix documented
    Oct 27, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
  • Affected products added · python/pillow
    Oct 27, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
  • Source status changed · Undergoing Analysis → Analyzed
    Oct 27, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
  • Source status changed · Awaiting Analysis → Undergoing Analysis
    Oct 23, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
  • Fix documented
    Oct 22, 2026 · GitHub Security Advisories
  • Affected products added · pip/pillow
    Oct 22, 2026 · GitHub Security Advisories
  • Source status changed · Received → Awaiting Analysis
    Oct 22, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
  • Affected products added · python-pillow/pillow
    Oct 21, 2026 · CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP
  • Record published
    Oct 21, 2026
  • CVSS changed · 9.8
    Oct 21, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
  • Source status changed · → Received
    Oct 21, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
  • Record created in this database
    Oct 21, 2026 · Alertas do Telegram
  • CVE published
    Oct 21, 2026 · GitHub_M

Source activity

Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.

  • 2× References added · Oct 21, 2026 – Oct 22, 2026
  • 1× Official description updated · Oct 21, 2026 – Oct 21, 2026

References

6 on the record

Elsewhere on this site

Python
every CVE for this vendor
Memory corruption
same class
CWE-125
other pages naming this weakness

Related CVEs (same products)

  • CVE-2026-114501 Pillow: Arrow export leaks stale heap memory when PILLOW_ALIGNMENT > 1 10d
  • CVE-2026-96778 Pillow: Heap buffer overflow writing JPEG comment after ICC profile fills buffer 10d
  • CVE-2026-96640 Pillow PDF append accepts malformed shared page-tree DAG causing resource exhaustion 10d
  • CVE-2026-96641 Pillow: Reachable undefined behavior in native integer operations, potentially leading to denial of service or logic integrity compromise 10d
  • CVE-2026-96642 Pillow: TarIO negative size field causes infinite CPU-spin loop 10d
  • CVE-2026-96644 Pillow: Heap over-read in WMF/EMF rendering via 16-bit dimension truncation (Windows builds) 10d

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 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-2026-96639 is "Pillow multi-frame loaders can reuse stale native image storage after mode transitions", rated Critical. It affects Pillow (Python); versions are in the scope table. It is not in CISA KEV, which does not rule out exploitation. CVSS 9.8 describes technical severity. EPSS 0.66% 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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