Improper neutralization of user data in the DjVu file format in ExifTool versions 7.44 and up allows arbitrary code execution when parsing t
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
- 100.0% · 100th percentile
- CWE
- CWE-94
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Report tools
Action score
91
Now
Patch today or shut off access.
- CVSS
- 31 / 40 · 7.8 / 10
- CISA KEV
- 30 / 30 · Listed
- EPSS
- 30 / 30 · 100.0%
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 government agencies: Dec 1, 2021.
Affected systems
| Vendor | Product | CPE |
|---|---|---|
| exiftool project | exiftool | cpe:2.3:a:exiftool_project:exiftool |
| debian | debian linux | cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux |
| fedoraproject | fedora | cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora |
Affected versions
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
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
Package-level exposure
OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.
| Ecosystem | Package | Affected range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian:10 | libimage-exiftool-perl | before 11.16-1+deb10u1 | 11.16-1+deb10u1 |
| Debian:12 | libimage-exiftool-perl | before 12.16+dfsg-2 | 12.16+dfsg-2 |
| Debian:9 | libimage-exiftool-perl | before 10.40-1+deb9u1 | 10.40-1+deb9u1 |
| SUSE:Package Hub 15 SP1 | perl-Image-ExifTool | before 12.25-bp152.4.3.1 | 12.25-bp152.4.3.1 |
| SUSE:Package Hub 15 SP1 | perl-Image-ExifTool | before 12.25-bp152.4.3.1 | 12.25-bp152.4.3.1 |
Same product
exiftool project: all recordsOther 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 username,31Monitor
- CVE-2026-3102exiftool PNG File MacOS.pm SetMacOSTags os command injection9Monitor
Remediation
Which version to upgrade to
Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.
| Product / package | Fixed version | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Debian:libimage-exiftool-perl | 12.16+dfsg-2 · Debian:12 | Package registry (OSV) |
| openSUSE:perl-Image-ExifTool | 12.25-bp152.4.3.1 · openSUSE:Leap 15.2 | Package registry (OSV) |
| SUSE:perl-Image-ExifTool | 12.25-bp152.4.3.1 · SUSE:Package Hub 15 SP1 | Package 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 ×16
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.
| Source | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Exploit-DB entry | local | 2022-05-11 |
| Metasploit module | exploit/multi/http/gitlab_exif_rceGitLab Unauthenticated Remote ExifTool Command Injectionexploit | 2021-04-14 |
| Metasploit module | exploit/unix/fileformat/exiftool_djvu_ant_perl_injectionExifTool DjVu ANT Perl injectionexploit | 2021-05-24 |
| Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub | stars:96 | 2021-05-11 |
| Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub | stars:12 | 2021-05-12 |
| Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub | stars:8 | 2021-05-21 |
| Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub | stars:3 | 2021-08-02 |
| Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub | stars:27 | 2021-08-02 |
| Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub | stars:2 | 2021-11-04 |
| Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub | stars:0 | 2021-12-06 |
| Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub | stars:3 | 2021-12-29 |
| Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub | stars:2 | 2022-01-30 |
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.
- Metasploit-10 d
- Published
- First PoC+17 d
- CISA KEV+207 d
- TodaySep 29, 2026+1985 d
FIRST EPSS daily score; only changes of 0.01 or more are recorded (step chart).
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 researchersFinders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.
Variant candidates
Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.
No nightly-computed relations.
Chain candidates
An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.
—
Bug bounty scope
No known public program.
Source: bounty-targets-data (public HackerOne, Bugcrowd, Intigriti, YesWeHack listings).
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.
Attack patterns (CAPEC)
Noroxi analysis
No Noroxi analysis for this record yet
We don't hand-write analysis for all 385,000+ vulnerabilities; that wouldn't be honest. For notable, high-impact vulnerabilities our team writes the mechanism, detection and remediation steps.
We use this product, ask for helpChange log
- Fix✗ → ✓
For records you follow, these changes also arrive as notifications. →
References
- www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2021/05/09/1
- www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2021/05/10/5
- github.com/exiftool/exiftool/commit/cf0f4e7dcd024ca99615bfd1102a841a25dde031#diff-fa0d652d10dbcd246e6b1df16c1e992931d3bb717a7e36157596b76bdadb3800
- gitlab.com/gitlab-org/cves/-/blob/master/2021/CVE-2021-22204.json
- lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2021/05/msg00018.html
- lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/DDKDLJLBTBBR66OOPXSXCG2PQRM5KCZL/
- lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/F6UOBPU3LSHAPRRJNISNVXZ5DSUIALLV/
- lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/U4RF6PJCJ6NQOVJJJF6HN6BORUQVIXY6/
- www.debian.org/security/2021/dsa-4910
- www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2021-22204
Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.