« Back to list

CVE-2023-36810

Status: ModifiedMedium (6.5)—

pypdf is a pure-python PDF library capable of splitting, merging, cropping, and transforming the pages of PDF files. An attacker who uses this vulnerability can craft a PDF which leads to unexpected long runtime. This quadratic runtime blocks the current process and can utilize a single core of the CPU by 100%. It does not affect memory usage. This issue has been addressed in PR 808 and versions from 1.27.9 include this fix. Users are advised to upgrade. There are no known workarounds for this vulnerability.

CVSS

Exploitation probability (EPSS)

EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System, FIRST) estimates how likely a vulnerability is to be exploited in the wild within 30 days. It complements CVSS (impact) and CISA KEV (confirmed exploitation).

Affected technologies (1)

Pypdf Project — Pypdf

CWEs

References

Raw JSON (NVD)

Show
{
  "id": "CVE-2023-36810",
  "cveTags": [],
  "metrics": {
    "ssvcV203": [
      {
        "source": "134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0",
        "ssvcData": {
          "id": "CVE-2023-36810",
          "role": "CISA Coordinator",
          "options": [
            {
              "exploitation": "none"
            },
            {
              "automatable": "no"
            },
            {
              "technicalImpact": "partial"
            }
          ],
          "version": "2.0.3",
          "timestamp": "2024-11-04T21:19:20.245358Z"
        }
      }
    ],
    "cvssMetricV31": [
      {
        "type": "Secondary",
        "source": "security-advisories@github.com",
        "cvssData": {
          "scope": "UNCHANGED",
          "version": "3.1",
          "baseScore": 6.2,
          "attackVector": "LOCAL",
          "baseSeverity": "MEDIUM",
          "vectorString": "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H",
          "integrityImpact": "NONE",
          "userInteraction": "NONE",
          "attackComplexity": "LOW",
          "availabilityImpact": "HIGH",
          "privilegesRequired": "NONE",
          "confidentialityImpact": "NONE"
        },
        "impactScore": 3.6,
        "exploitabilityScore": 2.5
      },
      {
        "type": "Primary",
        "source": "nvd@nist.gov",
        "cvssData": {
          "scope": "UNCHANGED",
          "version": "3.1",
          "baseScore": 6.5,
          "attackVector": "NETWORK",
          "baseSeverity": "MEDIUM",
          "vectorString": "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H",
          "integrityImpact": "NONE",
          "userInteraction": "REQUIRED",
          "attackComplexity": "LOW",
          "availabilityImpact": "HIGH",
          "privilegesRequired": "NONE",
          "confidentialityImpact": "NONE"
        },
        "impactScore": 3.6,
        "exploitabilityScore": 2.8
      }
    ]
  },
  "affected": [
    {
      "source": "security-advisories@github.com",
      "affectedData": [
        {
          "vendor": "py-pdf",
          "product": "pypdf",
          "versions": [
            {
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "< 1.27.9"
            }
          ]
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "published": "2023-06-30T19:15:09.357",
  "references": [
    {
      "url": "https://github.com/py-pdf/pypdf/issues/582",
      "tags": [
        "Exploit",
        "Issue Tracking",
        "Vendor Advisory"
      ],
      "source": "security-advisories@github.com"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://github.com/py-pdf/pypdf/pull/808",
      "tags": [
        "Patch"
      ],
      "source": "security-advisories@github.com"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://github.com/py-pdf/pypdf/security/advisories/GHSA-jrm6-h9cq-8gqw",
      "tags": [
        "Exploit",
        "Patch",
        "Vendor Advisory"
      ],
      "source": "security-advisories@github.com"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2023/07/msg00019.html",
      "source": "security-advisories@github.com"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://github.com/py-pdf/pypdf/issues/582",
      "tags": [
        "Exploit",
        "Issue Tracking",
        "Vendor Advisory"
      ],
      "source": "af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://github.com/py-pdf/pypdf/pull/808",
      "tags": [
        "Patch"
      ],
      "source": "af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://github.com/py-pdf/pypdf/security/advisories/GHSA-jrm6-h9cq-8gqw",
      "tags": [
        "Exploit",
        "Patch",
        "Vendor Advisory"
      ],
      "source": "af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2023/07/msg00019.html",
      "source": "af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"
    }
  ],
  "vulnStatus": "Modified",
  "weaknesses": [
    {
      "type": "Secondary",
      "source": "security-advisories@github.com",
      "description": [
        {
          "lang": "en",
          "value": "CWE-407"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "descriptions": [
    {
      "lang": "en",
      "value": "pypdf is a pure-python PDF library capable of splitting, merging, cropping, and transforming the pages of PDF files. An attacker who uses this vulnerability can craft a PDF which leads to unexpected long runtime. This quadratic runtime blocks the current process and can utilize a single core of the CPU by 100%. It does not affect memory usage. This issue has been addressed in PR 808 and versions from 1.27.9 include this fix. Users are advised to upgrade. There are no known workarounds for this vulnerability."
    }
  ],
  "lastModified": "2026-06-17T06:07:07.467",
  "configurations": [
    {
      "nodes": [
        {
          "negate": false,
          "cpeMatch": [
            {
              "criteria": "cpe:2.3:a:pypdf_project:pypdf:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
              "vulnerable": true,
              "matchCriteriaId": "E7E21A1C-3663-459B-B3ED-3242B677FDCD",
              "versionEndIncluding": "1.27.8"
            }
          ],
          "operator": "OR"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sourceIdentifier": "security-advisories@github.com"
}