RCE in Exiftool
CVE-2021-22204
Improper neutralization of user data in the DjVu file format in ExifTool versions 7.44 and up allows arbitrary code execution when parsing the malicious image
Vulnerability class: RCE (Remote Code Execution)
Published · last modified .
CVSS v3 metric
CVSS v3 base score 6.8 (Medium). Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:L.
EPSS exploit prediction
EPSS: 1.000 (100.0th percentile), scored .
Very high probability of exploitation in the next 30 days — among the top 0.1% most-likely-to-be-exploited CVEs. 100th percentile — 100.0% of CVEs in the catalogue have a lower EPSS than this one. How to read EPSS.
The 30-day trend appears once there are two daily scores.
Affected products
- Exiftool — versions >=7.44, <12.24
- Exiftool Project
- Debian Linux — versions 9.0, 10.0
- Fedoraproject Fedora — versions 32, 33, 34
Weakness classification (CWE)
CISA KEV (Known Exploited Vulnerabilities)
This CVE is on the CISA KEV catalog, added on . CISA KEV inclusion means CISA has confirmed in-the-wild exploitation; US federal agencies are required to remediate within a published due date.
BOD 22-01 due date: .
Required action: Apply updates per vendor instructions.
Public proof-of-concept exploits
References
- github.com/exiftool/exiftool/commit/cf0f4e7dcd024ca99615bfd1102a841a25dde031 (Patch)
- hackerone.com/reports/1154542 (Exploit, Third Party Advisory, Issue Tracking)
- gitlab.com/gitlab-org/cves/-/blob/master/2021/CVE-2021-22204.json (Third Party Advisory)
- www.debian.org/security/2021/dsa-4910 (vendor-advisory, Mailing List, Third Party Advisory)
- lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/… (vendor-advisory, Release Notes)
- lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/… (vendor-advisory, Release Notes)
- lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/… (vendor-advisory, Release Notes)
- www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2021/05/09/1 (mailing-list, Mailing List, Third Party Advisory)
- www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2021/05/10/5 (mailing-list, Mailing List, Third Party Advisory)
- packetstormsecurity.com/files/162558/ExifTool-DjVu-ANT-Perl-Injection.html (Exploit, VDB Entry, Third Party Advisory)
Frequently asked questions
- What is CVE-2021-22204?
- CVE-2021-22204 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Exiftool, classified under Code Injection. CVSS score: 6.8/10. Published 2021-04-23.
- How severe is CVE-2021-22204?
- Medium severity. CVSS v3 base score is 6.8 out of 10.
- Is CVE-2021-22204 known to be exploited?
- Yes. CVE-2021-22204 is listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog (added 2021-11-17), indicating it is being actively exploited. 107 public proof-of-concept repositories are indexed.