CVE-2022-24859Public exploit

Process hang via unterminated inline-image scan

Published Apr 18, 2022 · Updated Apr 22, 2025

Infinite loop in ContentStream._readInlineImage in PyPDF2 before 1.27.5 allows attackers to hang a consuming process with a crafted PDF. The method's final loop searches indefinitely for an EI token and never tests whether the inline-image stream has reached end of file. Exploitation requires an application to process attacker-supplied PDF content through that method, hanging the calling process without data disclosure or modification.

CVSS severity6.2
Medium
EPSS probability1.32%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Infinite loop in ContentStream._readInlineImage in PyPDF2 before 1.27.5 allows attackers to hang a consuming process with a crafted PDF. The method's final loop searches indefinitely for an EI token and never tests whether the inline-image stream has reached end of file. Exploitation requires an application to process attacker-supplied PDF content through that method, hanging the calling process without data disclosure or modification.

The record

CVE
CVE-2022-24859
Published
Apr 18, 2022
Updated
Apr 22, 2025
Vendor
py-pdf
Product
PyPDF2
Classifications
CWE-835, T1204.002
Attack vector
local
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Apr 18, 2022CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Apr 22, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=< 1.27.5

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

py-pdf · PyPDF2version=< 1.27.5

Published CVSS scores

6.2GitHubCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
5.5NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitPublished

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-835Loop with Unreachable Exit Condition ('Infinite Loop')
T1204.002User Execution: Malicious File

Public exploit references

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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