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NVD / CVE Program· CNA GitLab

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…

HighCVSS 7.8 · v3.1KEVWeaponized Fix available

Noroxi assessment

Priority: Now (action score 91/100)

  • CISA has confirmed exploitation in the wild (Nov 17, 2021). Remediation deadline for US federal agencies: Dec 1, 2021.
  • A ready-made attack module is public (Metasploit); exploiting it takes no special expertise.
  • Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days: 99.9% (FIRST EPSS); higher than 99.9% of all records.
  • Someone with local access to the system can trigger it. No account or password is required. A user must open a link or visit a page. No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
  • Fixed version: perl-image-exiftool (Alpine:v3.13) 12.24-r0; libimage-exiftool-perl (Debian:10) 11.16-1+deb10u1; libimage-exiftool-perl (Debian:12) 12.16+dfsg-2.
  • Mentioned 1 time in Turkish national cyber security advisories (siberguvenlik.gov.tr).

Patch today or shut off access. Upgrade to perl-image-exiftool (Alpine:v3.13) 12.24-r0; libimage-exiftool-perl (Debian:10) 11.16-1+deb10u1; libimage-exiftool-perl (Debian:12) 12.16+dfsg-2 or later.

Generated automatically from the record's data: CVSS (NVD and CNA), CISA KEV and SSVC, FIRST EPSS, exploit sources, fixed versions. How we calculate it

Primary sources: NVD · CVE.org · CISA KEV · FIRST EPSS

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

Published
Apr 23, 2021
Updated
Jun 16, 2026
EPSS
99.9% · 99th percentile

Report tools

JSON

Action score

91

Now

Patch today or shut off access.

CVSS
31 / 40 · 7.8 / 10
CISA KEV
30 / 30 · Listed
EPSS
30 / 30 · 99.9%

CISA SSVC decision

Exploitation
active
Automatable
no
Technical impact
partial

Vulnrichment: CISA's decision-tree inputs.

CNA vs NVD score

NVD
7.8
CNA · GitLab
6.8
1.0 point gap

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:L

The score given by the assigning authority versus NVD’s independent score. A gap means the severity is contested.

Actively exploited in the wild

CISA added this to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on Nov 17, 2021. That signals real attacks, not theory.

Remediation deadline for US federal agencies: Dec 1, 2021.

Get told when this record changes

  • In CISA KEV: exploitation in the wild confirmed
  • Weaponized exploit exists
  • A fix has been released

If any of these changes, we'll tell you in the daily email digest.

Follow CVE-2021-22204

When you'll hear from us

  • when it enters CISA KEV
  • when exploit code appears or is weaponized
  • when the record is updated (including a fixed version)
  • when EPSS rises 20 points in a week

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Noroxi analysis

What does it mean in your environment?

The assessment above is generated automatically from the record's data; it doesn't know your environment. Our team verifies on your systems whether this vulnerability is actually exploitable and which mitigation is enough.

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Affected systems

Is your version affected?

Pick the product and type the version you run. It's compared with this record's version ranges in your browser; the version isn't sent anywhere.

VendorProduct
exiftool projectexiftool
debiandebian linux
fedoraprojectfedora

Versions reported by the vendor

Affected version ranges reported by the assigning authority (GitLab). Independent of NVD's CPE analysis and usually ahead of it.

  • ExifTool ExifTool

    • >=7.44, <12.24affected
Affected versions · NVD (6)

NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.

  • debian debian linux10.0
  • debian debian linux9.0
  • exiftool project exiftool7.44 and later · before 12.24
  • fedoraproject fedora32
  • fedoraproject fedora33
  • fedoraproject fedora34

Package-level exposure

OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.

EcosystemPackageAffected rangeFix
Alpine:v3.13perl-image-exiftoolbefore 12.24-r012.24-r0
Debian:10libimage-exiftool-perlbefore 11.16-1+deb10u111.16-1+deb10u1
Debian:12libimage-exiftool-perlbefore 12.16+dfsg-212.16+dfsg-2
Debian:9libimage-exiftool-perlbefore 10.40-1+deb9u110.40-1+deb9u1
openSUSE:Leap 15.2perl-Image-ExifToolbefore 12.25-bp152.4.3.112.25-bp152.4.3.1
SUSE:Package Hub 15 SP1perl-Image-ExifToolbefore 12.25-bp152.4.3.112.25-bp152.4.3.1

Same product

exiftool project: all records

Other highest-scoring records for the same primary product.

  • CVE-2022-23935lib/Image/ExifTool.pm in ExifTool before 12.38 mishandles a $file =~ /\|$/ check, leading to command injection.
    33Monitor
  • CVE-2018-20211ExifTool 8.32 allows local users to gain privileges by creating a %TEMP%\par-%username%\cache-exiftool-8.32 folder with a victim's…
    31Monitor
  • CVE-2026-3102exiftool PNG File MacOS.pm SetMacOSTags os command injection
    9Monitor

Remediation

Which version to upgrade to

Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.

Product / packageFixed versionSource
alpine:perl-image-exiftool12.24-r0 · Alpine:v3.13Package registry (OSV)
debian:libimage-exiftool-perl12.16+dfsg-2 · Debian:12Package registry (OSV)
opensuse:perl-Image-ExifTool12.25-bp152.4.3.1 · openSUSE:Leap 15.2Package registry (OSV)
suse:perl-Image-ExifTool12.25-bp152.4.3.1 · SUSE:Package Hub 15 SP1Package registry (OSV)

Exploit status

Weaponized

A ready exploit tool or active in-the-wild use is known for this vulnerability. This should be your top priority.

Evidence

  • Metasploit module ×2
  • Exploit-DB entry ×1
  • Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub ×17

Noroxi does not host or link to exploit code. Metasploit module names and Nuclei template ids are shown (names, not code); Exploit-DB entries and PoC repositories are given as counts only.

Public exploit evidence
SourceKindDate
Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub17 repositories2021-05-11 → 2026-10-16
Exploit-DB entrylocal2022-05-11
Metasploit moduleexploit/multi/http/gitlab_exif_rceGitLab Unauthenticated Remote ExifTool Command Injectionexploit2021-04-14
Metasploit moduleexploit/unix/fileformat/exiftool_djvu_ant_perl_injectionExifTool DjVu ANT Perl injectionexploit2021-05-24

Research context

For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.

Timeline

From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.

  1. Metasploit-10 d
  2. Published
  3. First PoC+17 d
  4. CISA KEV+207 d
  5. TodayNov 14, 2026+2030 d

Patch and commit links

Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.

Credits

All researchers

Finders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.

National notice (Türkiye Cybersecurity Directorate / USOM)

Official security notices citing this record; remediation advice is on the agency's page.

All national notices →

Not on record for this CVE: EPSS history · variant or chain candidate · public bounty program.

Technical details

Attack conditions

  • Someone with local access to the system can trigger it.
  • No account or password is required.
  • A user must open a link or visit a page.
  • No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.

If successful

Confidentiality
high · data can be read
Integrity
high · data or configuration can be modified
Availability
high · the service can be disrupted
Attack vector
Local
Attack complexity
Low
Privileges required
None
User interaction
Required
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality impact
High
Integrity impact
High
Availability impact
High

Weakness class (CWE)

CWE-94 · Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection')

CVSS vector

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

nvd-primary

Attack context

MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.

References

Show all references (9 more)

Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.

All records