Arbitrary code using "crafted image file" approach affecting Pillow

published 2016-11-04 10 y ago modified 2026-06-17 4 mo ago also GHSA-w4vg-rf63-f3j3 , PYSEC-2016-9 , EUVD-2016-0025

cvss: 7.8; version 3.0, NVD
cisa kev: Not listed; not in CISA's catalog
epss: 1.9%; EPSS 1.9% chance of exploitation in 30 days, percentile 79%
public exploits: 0; none known

Pillow before 3.3.2 allows context-dependent attackers to execute arbitrary code by using the "crafted image file" approach, related to an "Insecure Sign Extension" issue affecting the ImagingNew in Storage.c component.

Patch / fix

fixed in 1 distros 3 links 2

pypi pillow 3.3.2

debian ubuntu suse

pillow Debian 14, Debian 13, Debian 12 3.4.2-1

debian advisories DEBIAN-CVE-2016-9190

pillow Ubuntu 14.04 LTS 2.3.0-1ubuntu3.4
pillow Ubuntu 16.04 LTS 3.1.2-0ubuntu1.1

ubuntu advisories UBUNTU-CVE-2016-9190

Ubuntu security data © Canonical Ltd., from https://github.com/canonical/ubuntu-security-notices via OSV; changed: normalised to fixed package versions per release. CC BY-SA 4.0

python-Pillow Enterprise Storage 5 2.8.1-3.3.1
python-Pillow OpenStack Cloud 6 2.7.0-4.3.1
python-Pillow OpenStack Cloud 7, Enterprise Storage 4 2.8.1-4.3.2

suse advisories SUSE-SU-2019:1321-1 SUSE-SU-2018:1191-1 SUSE-SU-2018:1174-1

github.com/python-pillow/Pillow#2146 commit
github.com/python-pillow/Pillow/issues/2105 advisory

Vendor advisories

What the vendors themselves say about their products: affected, fixed or not affected, and what to do.

red hat product security vex CVE-2016-9190 updated 2026-11-05 cvss 7.3

python-pillow: Missing check for negative image dimensions in ImagingNew (Storage.c)

Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 python-imaging Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 python-imaging, python-imaging-tk, python-imaging-sane Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 python-pillow, python-pillow-qt, python-pillow-tk, python-pillow-sane
affected: no fix planned “Will not fix”

Red Hat CSAF VEX © Red Hat, Inc., from https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/; changed: reduced to product statuses and remediations. CC BY 4.0 · csaf

Exploit prediction

1.90% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 79% of all scored CVEs (FIRST EPSS, 2026-11-09).

CVSS scores

assigned by	version	score	vector
NVD	3.0	7.8	CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
NVD	2.0	6.8	AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P
GitHub	3.0	7.8	CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Affected packages

ecosystem	package	affected	fixed in
pypi	pillow	<3.3.2	3.3.2

Classification

Weakness

CWE-284 Improper Access Control

References

github.com /python-pillow/Pillow/pull/2146/commits/5d8a0be45aad78c5a22c8d099118ee26ef8144af
web, issue-tracking, patch, third-party-advisory
github.com /python-pillow/Pillow/issues/2105
web, issue-tracking, patch, third-party-advisory, report
security.gentoo.org /glsa/201612-52
vendor-advisory, web, advisory
debian.org /security/2016/dsa-3710
vendor-advisory, web, third-party-advisory, advisory
pillow.readthedocs.io /en/3.4.x/releasenotes/3.3.2.html
web, vendor-advisory
securityfocus.com /bid/94234
vdb-entry, web, third-party-advisory
nvd.nist.gov /vuln/detail/CVE-2016-9190
advisory
github.com /advisories/GHSA-w4vg-rf63-f3j3
advisory
github.com /pypa/advisory-database/tree/main/vulns/pillow/PYSEC-2016-9.yaml
web
github.com /python-pillow/Pillow
package

Sources

Fencer Intel keeps one entry per vulnerability: the CVE id wins, then GHSA, and records that alias each other are merged, except that two CVEs always keep separate entries. The same data is available as JSON.

Summary