CVE-2021-22204
ExifTool Remote Code Execution Vulnerability
Does this matter?
Known to be exploited in the wild (CISA KEV, CISA remediation deadline 1 December 2021). Treat as an emergency change: patch or isolate now, then hunt for prior compromise.
Description
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
- CVSS 3.1
- 7.8 HIGHCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- EPSS
- 99.98% probability · 100th percentile
- Public exploits
- 1 in Exploit-DB · first 11 May 2022
- CISA KEV
- Listed 17 November 2021 · due 1 December 2021
- Weakness
- CWE-94
- Affected
- exiftool project/exiftool · debian/debian linux · fedoraproject/fedora
- Source
- cve@gitlab.com
EPSS 100.0% since 30 October 2026; no change recorded yet. The dashed line is the ten per cent mark our analysts treat as “patch before the next change window”. Points are recorded when the score first appears and whenever it moves by a percentage point or more.
CISA notes
Apply updates per vendor instructions. https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-22204
Public exploits (1)
Entries in Exploit-DB that cite this CVE. Links go to the Exploit-DB page and to the file in the public repository; nothing is hosted here. A verified tick means the Exploit-DB team confirmed the exploit works against the stated version.
References
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/162558/ExifTool-DjVu-ANT-Perl-Injection.htmlExploit, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/164768/GitLab-Unauthenticated-Remote-ExifTool-Command-Injection.htmlExploit, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/164994/GitLab-13.10.2-Remote-Code-Execution.htmlExploit, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/167038/ExifTool-12.23-Arbitrary-Code-Execution.htmlExploit, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
- http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2021/05/09/1Mailing List, Third Party Advisory
- http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2021/05/10/5Mailing List, Third Party Advisory
- https://github.com/exiftool/exiftool/commit/cf0f4e7dcd024ca99615bfd1102a841a25dde031#diff-fa0d652d10dbcd246e6b1df16c1e992931d3bb717a7e36157596b76bdadb3800Patch
- https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/cves/-/blob/master/2021/CVE-2021-22204.jsonThird Party Advisory
- https://hackerone.com/reports/1154542Exploit, Issue Tracking, Third Party Advisory
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2021/05/msg00018.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/DDKDLJLBTBBR66OOPXSXCG2PQRM5KCZL/Release Notes
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/F6UOBPU3LSHAPRRJNISNVXZ5DSUIALLV/Release Notes
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/U4RF6PJCJ6NQOVJJJF6HN6BORUQVIXY6/Release Notes
- https://www.debian.org/security/2021/dsa-4910Mailing List, Third Party Advisory
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/162558/ExifTool-DjVu-ANT-Perl-Injection.htmlExploit, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/164768/GitLab-Unauthenticated-Remote-ExifTool-Command-Injection.htmlExploit, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/164994/GitLab-13.10.2-Remote-Code-Execution.htmlExploit, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/167038/ExifTool-12.23-Arbitrary-Code-Execution.htmlExploit, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
- http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2021/05/09/1Mailing List, Third Party Advisory
- http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2021/05/10/5Mailing List, Third Party Advisory
- https://github.com/exiftool/exiftool/commit/cf0f4e7dcd024ca99615bfd1102a841a25dde031#diff-fa0d652d10dbcd246e6b1df16c1e992931d3bb717a7e36157596b76bdadb3800Patch
- https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/cves/-/blob/master/2021/CVE-2021-22204.jsonThird Party Advisory
- https://hackerone.com/reports/1154542Exploit, Issue Tracking, Third Party Advisory
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2021/05/msg00018.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/DDKDLJLBTBBR66OOPXSXCG2PQRM5KCZL/Release Notes
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/F6UOBPU3LSHAPRRJNISNVXZ5DSUIALLV/Release Notes
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/U4RF6PJCJ6NQOVJJJF6HN6BORUQVIXY6/Release Notes
- https://www.debian.org/security/2021/dsa-4910Mailing List, Third Party Advisory
- https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2021-22204US Government Resource
Source: NVD record, EPSS from FIRST.org, KEV from CISA, exploits from Exploit-DB. Refreshed daily. Download this record as JSON.