CVE-2020-10378: Out-of-bounds read in Pillow
Summary
CVE-2020-10378: Out-of-bounds read in Pillow. Affects pillow versions < 7.1.0. Fixed in 7.1.0. How to fix ↓
Also tracked for
The same CVE-2020-10378 is tracked separately for each ecosystem and vendor. Its fix information is the same; the package and affected versions differ.
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Background
Pillow is a popular Python imaging library that provides support for opening, manipulating, and saving many different image file formats. It is widely used in various applications for image processing and manipulation. However, versions of Pillow before 6.2.3 and 7.x before 7.0.1 are vulnerable to an out-of-bounds read issue in the PCX file decoding functionality. This vulnerability occurs when reading PCX files that instruct the 'shuffle' parameter to read beyond the buffer, leading to potential memory corruption and information disclosure.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in Pillow allows an attacker to trigger an out-of-bounds read by providing a specially crafted PCX file. By exploiting this issue, an attacker may be able to read sensitive information from the memory of the affected system. This could potentially lead to the disclosure of sensitive data or the execution of arbitrary code. The severity of this vulnerability is rated as MODERATE with a CVSS score of 5.5.
How To Fix
Latest published version: 13.0.0 as of 22 Oct 2026
pip install --upgrade "pillow==13.0.0"Upgrading to it may include breaking changes; the version below is the minimum fixed release for this vulnerability.
If you need the minimum change
7.1.0
This is the first release that contains the fix.
pip install --upgrade "pillow==7.1.0"Tip — Not sure which version your app runs? Vulert can match this fix to it. Scan free →
Workaround
There is no known workaround for this vulnerability. It is strongly advised to upgrade to the fixed version of Pillow as soon as possible.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the vulnerability in Pillow allows for an out-of-bounds read when processing PCX files. This can potentially lead to the disclosure of sensitive information or the execution of arbitrary code. Users are strongly advised to upgrade to the fixed version of Pillow (7.1.0 or later) to mitigate this vulnerability. For further support on vulnerability remediation, please contact DevNack.com.
See every vulnerability recorded for pillow →
FAQ
Pillow is a Python imaging library that provides support for opening, manipulating, and saving various image file formats.
This vulnerability can potentially lead to the disclosure of sensitive information or the execution of arbitrary code.
Versions of Pillow before 6.2.3 and 7.x before 7.0.1 are affected by this vulnerability.
To fix this vulnerability, it is recommended to upgrade to version 7.1.0 or later of Pillow.
No, there is no known workaround for this vulnerability. It is advised to upgrade to the fixed version.
References
Related vulnerabilities
Recent vulnerabilities recorded for pillow.
