CVE-2026-119209 — pypdf
Fix: py-pdf/pypdf@a93fe3aCVE-2026-119209 is a Uncontrolled Resource Consumption vulnerability in pypdf. A fix is available for pypdf — see the affected versions and patch details below.
pypdf: Possible large memory usage when parsing cross-reference streams
Exploitation Status
No confirmed exploitation observed yet
- CISA assesses this as automatable — exploitation doesn’t require manual, per-target effort, which raises the odds of mass scanning and opportunistic attacks.
- CISA’s own triage has not observed active exploitation or public proof-of-concept code for this CVE as of its last assessment.
Exploitation and automatability from CISA’s SSVC triage for CVE-2026-119209.
EPSS Exploitation Probability
Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days, from FIRST.org EPSS.
Real-World Exposure
pypdfReal-time download stats are indexed for npm and PyPI packages. This vulnerability affects PyPI packages — download data is not available via public APIs for these ecosystems.
Description
pypdf is a free and open-source pure-python PDF library. Prior to 6.21.3, pypdf can consume excessive memory while opening a crafted PDF containing cross-reference streams that declare very large entry counts. Highly compressible streams and /Prev chains can multiply the number of parsed entries across a document, while negative /Index counts can bypass the existing per-stream clamp. This issue is fixed in version 6.21.3.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🐍PyPI | pypdf | all versions | 6.21.3pip install --upgrade 'pypdf==6.21.3' |
Affected Products
pypdfpypdf_projectDetection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for pypdf, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update pypdf to 6.21.3 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2026-119209 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
Cap what an attacker can consume: apply request size, rate and timeout limits in front of the affected component, and run it with memory and CPU limits so exhaustion degrades one worker rather than the whole service.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2026-119209 in your dependencies?
Find it across PyPI, including transitive dependencies.