{"id":"CVE-2021-22204","url":"https://www.cyber-defence.io/tools/cve/CVE-2021-22204","generatedAt":"2026-10-31T15:06:03.459Z","title":"ExifTool Remote Code Execution Vulnerability","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","published":"2021-04-23T18:15:08.000Z","lastModified":"2026-06-17T03:36:48.000Z","status":"Analyzed","sourceIdentifier":"cve@gitlab.com","cvss":{"version":"3.1","score":7.8,"severity":"HIGH","vector":"CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H"},"cwe":["CWE-94"],"affected":["exiftool project/exiftool","debian/debian linux","fedoraproject/fedora"],"epss":{"score":0.99981,"percentile":0.99981,"date":"2026-10-30","history":[]},"kev":{"listed":true,"dateAdded":"2021-11-17","dueDate":"2021-12-01","knownRansomwareCampaignUse":"Unknown","notes":"Apply updates per vendor instructions.\nhttps://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-22204"},"exploits":{"count":1,"verified":false,"firstPublished":"2022-05-11","source":"Exploit-DB (https://gitlab.com/exploit-database/exploitdb)","entries":[{"edbId":50911,"kind":"exploit","title":"ExifTool 12.23 - Arbitrary Code Execution","url":"https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/50911","sourceUrl":"https://gitlab.com/exploit-database/exploitdb/-/blob/main/exploits/linux/local/50911.py","file":"exploits/linux/local/50911.py","published":"2022-05-11","added":"2022-05-11","updated":"2022-05-11","author":"UNICORD","type":"local","platform":"linux","port":null,"verified":false,"codes":["CVE-2021-22204"],"tags":null,"aliases":null,"applicationUrl":null,"screenshotUrl":null,"referenceUrl":null}]},"verdict":{"level":"urgent","text":"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."},"changes":[],"references":[{"url":"http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/162558/ExifTool-DjVu-ANT-Perl-Injection.html","tags":["Exploit","Third Party Advisory","VDB Entry"],"source":"cve@gitlab.com"},{"url":"http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/164768/GitLab-Unauthenticated-Remote-ExifTool-Command-Injection.html","tags":["Exploit","Third Party Advisory","VDB Entry"],"source":"cve@gitlab.com"},{"url":"http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/164994/GitLab-13.10.2-Remote-Code-Execution.html","tags":["Exploit","Third Party Advisory","VDB Entry"],"source":"cve@gitlab.com"},{"url":"http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/167038/ExifTool-12.23-Arbitrary-Code-Execution.html","tags":["Exploit","Third Party Advisory","VDB Entry"],"source":"cve@gitlab.com"},{"url":"http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2021/05/09/1","tags":["Mailing List","Third Party Advisory"],"source":"cve@gitlab.com"},{"url":"http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2021/05/10/5","tags":["Mailing List","Third Party Advisory"],"source":"cve@gitlab.com"},{"url":"https://github.com/exiftool/exiftool/commit/cf0f4e7dcd024ca99615bfd1102a841a25dde031#diff-fa0d652d10dbcd246e6b1df16c1e992931d3bb717a7e36157596b76bdadb3800","tags":["Patch"],"source":"cve@gitlab.com"},{"url":"https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/cves/-/blob/master/2021/CVE-2021-22204.json","tags":["Third Party Advisory"],"source":"cve@gitlab.com"},{"url":"https://hackerone.com/reports/1154542","tags":["Exploit","Issue Tracking","Third Party Advisory"],"source":"cve@gitlab.com"},{"url":"https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2021/05/msg00018.html","tags":["Mailing List","Third Party Advisory"],"source":"cve@gitlab.com"},{"url":"https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/DDKDLJLBTBBR66OOPXSXCG2PQRM5KCZL/","tags":["Release Notes"],"source":"cve@gitlab.com"},{"url":"https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/F6UOBPU3LSHAPRRJNISNVXZ5DSUIALLV/","tags":["Release Notes"],"source":"cve@gitlab.com"},{"url":"https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/U4RF6PJCJ6NQOVJJJF6HN6BORUQVIXY6/","tags":["Release Notes"],"source":"cve@gitlab.com"},{"url":"https://www.debian.org/security/2021/dsa-4910","tags":["Mailing List","Third Party Advisory"],"source":"cve@gitlab.com"},{"url":"http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/162558/ExifTool-DjVu-ANT-Perl-Injection.html","tags":["Exploit","Third Party Advisory","VDB Entry"],"source":"af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"},{"url":"http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/164768/GitLab-Unauthenticated-Remote-ExifTool-Command-Injection.html","tags":["Exploit","Third Party Advisory","VDB Entry"],"source":"af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"},{"url":"http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/164994/GitLab-13.10.2-Remote-Code-Execution.html","tags":["Exploit","Third Party Advisory","VDB Entry"],"source":"af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"},{"url":"http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/167038/ExifTool-12.23-Arbitrary-Code-Execution.html","tags":["Exploit","Third Party Advisory","VDB Entry"],"source":"af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"},{"url":"http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2021/05/09/1","tags":["Mailing List","Third Party Advisory"],"source":"af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"},{"url":"http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2021/05/10/5","tags":["Mailing List","Third Party Advisory"],"source":"af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"},{"url":"https://github.com/exiftool/exiftool/commit/cf0f4e7dcd024ca99615bfd1102a841a25dde031#diff-fa0d652d10dbcd246e6b1df16c1e992931d3bb717a7e36157596b76bdadb3800","tags":["Patch"],"source":"af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"},{"url":"https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/cves/-/blob/master/2021/CVE-2021-22204.json","tags":["Third Party Advisory"],"source":"af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"},{"url":"https://hackerone.com/reports/1154542","tags":["Exploit","Issue Tracking","Third Party Advisory"],"source":"af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"},{"url":"https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2021/05/msg00018.html","tags":["Mailing List","Third Party Advisory"],"source":"af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"},{"url":"https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/DDKDLJLBTBBR66OOPXSXCG2PQRM5KCZL/","tags":["Release Notes"],"source":"af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"},{"url":"https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/F6UOBPU3LSHAPRRJNISNVXZ5DSUIALLV/","tags":["Release Notes"],"source":"af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"},{"url":"https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/U4RF6PJCJ6NQOVJJJF6HN6BORUQVIXY6/","tags":["Release Notes"],"source":"af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"},{"url":"https://www.debian.org/security/2021/dsa-4910","tags":["Mailing List","Third Party Advisory"],"source":"af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"},{"url":"https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2021-22204","tags":["US Government Resource"],"source":"134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0"}],"sources":{"nvd":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-22204","epss":"https://www.first.org/epss/","kev":"https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog","exploitdb":"https://www.exploit-db.com/"},"licence":"CC BY 4.0 — link back to the CVE Explorer if you publish the results; upstream data remains subject to its own terms."}