GHSA-c32g-2mgr-cfq7 is a medium-severity (CVSS 6.5) Out-of-bounds Write vulnerability in com.itextpdf:itext7-core. 1 public exploit reference exists, so weaponization risk is real. A fix is available for com.itextpdf:itext7-core — see the affected versions and patch details below.
EPSS Exploitation Probability
Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days, from FIRST.org EPSS.
How urgent is this, really
GHSA-c32g-2mgr-cfq7 by exploitation likelihood (EPSS) against impact (CVSS). Outside the shaded patch-first corner.
Where this sits among everything scored
Of 385,987 CVEs with a current EPSS score, this one falls in the < 10% band (highlighted). Counts from FIRST.org, log-scaled.
Real-World Exposure
com.itextpdf:itext7-coreReal-time download stats are indexed for npm and PyPI packages. This vulnerability affects Maven packages — download data is not available via public APIs for these ecosystems.
Description
iText v7.1.17 was discovered to contain a stack-based buffer overflow via the component ByteBuffer.append, which allows attackers to cause a Denial of Service (DoS) via a crafted PDF file.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☕Maven | com.itextpdf:itext7-core | all versions | 7.1.18com.itextpdf:itext7-core:7.1.18 |
Affected Products
itextitextpdfResearch use only. For defensive security, authorized penetration testing, and academic research only. Never execute exploit code against systems without explicit written authorization.
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for com.itextpdf:itext7-core, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update com.itextpdf:itext7-core to 7.1.18 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-c32g-2mgr-cfq7 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
Stop feeding it untrusted input: reject or quarantine files and payloads from unverified sources until you can upgrade, restrict accepted formats to the ones you actually need, and run the parsing or decoding step in a least-privileged sandbox or short-lived worker so a crash or corrupted read cannot reach the rest of the process.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is GHSA-c32g-2mgr-cfq7 in your dependencies?
Find it across Maven, including transitive dependencies.