CVE-2026-25990 — pillow
Fix: python-pillow/Pillow@9000313CVE-2026-25990 is a Out-of-bounds Write vulnerability in pillow. A fix is available for pillow — see the affected versions and patch details below.
Pillow has an out-of-bounds write when loading PSD images
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.
- A successful exploit gives an attacker total control of the affected component, not partial access.
- 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-2026-25990.
EPSS Exploitation Probability
EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) is a daily probability model maintained by FIRST.org. It estimates the likelihood a CVE will be exploited in production environments within the next 30 days, derived from real-world threat intelligence signals.
Real-World Exposure
pillowReal-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
Impact
An out-of-bounds write may be triggered when loading a specially crafted PSD image. Pillow >= 10.3.0 users are affected.
Patches
Pillow 12.1.1 will be released shortly with a fix for this.
Workarounds
Image.open() has a formats parameter that can be used to prevent PSD images from being opened.
References
Pillow 12.1.1 will add release notes at https://pillow.readthedocs.io/en/stable/releasenotes/index.html
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🐍PyPI | pillow | ≥ 10.3.0&&< 12.1.1 | 12.1.1pip install --upgrade 'pillow==12.1.1' |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for pillow, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update pillow to 12.1.1 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2026-25990 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
If you can't upgrade right away: gate or disable the affected feature, validate untrusted input at the boundary, and avoid passing attacker-controlled data into the vulnerable path. O3's runtime protection blocks exploitation in production as an interim safeguard until the upgrade lands.
How O3 protects you
O3 Security's impact-aware SCA analyses which vulnerable code paths your application actually calls, so a match like CVE-2026-25990 can be triaged on real exposure rather than presence alone.
Tailored to CVE-2026-25990. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
Fixing This On Your OS
If you run this on a Linux distribution, patch through your package manager against the distro's own security advisory below — it tracks the exact backported fix for your release, which can ship on a different timeline (and sometimes a different severity) than the upstream project.
| Product | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform 2.5 for RHEL 8 | python3.12-pillow-0:12.1.1-1.el8ap | RHSA-2026:6278 |
| Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform 2.6 for RHEL 9 | python3.12-pillow-0:12.1.1-1.el9ap | RHSA-2026:6277 |
| Red Hat Satellite 6.16 for RHEL 8 | python-pillow-0:12.1.1-1.el8pc | RHSA-2026:14874 |
| Red Hat Satellite 6.17 for RHEL 9 | python-pillow-0:12.1.1-1.el9pc | RHSA-2026:14873 |
| Red Hat Satellite 6.18 for RHEL 9 | python3.12-pillow-0:12.1.1-1.el9pc | RHSA-2026:28385 |
| Red Hat AI Inference Server 3.2 | rhaiis/vllm-cuda-rhel9:1772160593 | RHSA-2026:3461 |
| Red Hat AI Inference Server 3.2 | rhaiis/vllm-rocm-rhel9:1772160625 | RHSA-2026:3462 |
| Red Hat AI Inference Server 3.2 | rhaiis/model-opt-cuda-rhel9:1772713830 | RHSA-2026:4128 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2026-25990 in your dependencies?
O3 Security finds CVE-2026-25990 across PyPI dependencies, including transitive ones, and its impact-aware SCA ranks findings by whether your code actually calls the vulnerable path.