High severity · published Aug 13, 2025
CVE-2025-55197
pypdf's Manipulated FlateDecode streams can exhaust RAM
7.5
CVSS
0.5%
EPSS
No
On KEV
Description
pypdf is a free and open-source pure-python PDF library. Prior to version 6.0.0, an attacker can craft a PDF which leads to the RAM being exhausted. This requires just reading the file if a series of FlateDecode filters is used on a malicious cross-reference stream. Other content streams are affected on explicit access. This issue has been fixed in 6.0.0. If an update is not possible, a workaround involves including the fixed code from pypdf.filters.decompress into the existing filters file.
CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
None
Availability
High
Scope
Unchanged
Exploitation
Is it being used?
Exploit prediction (EPSS)0.5% · higher than 41% of CVEs
Exploited in the wildNo evidence yet
CISA KEVNot listed
Ransomware campaign useNot known
Affected products
Which versions
PY
pypdf · py-pdf
< 6.0.0 · source: vendor, NVD
References
NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-55197
CVE.org
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-55197
Product
https://github.com/py-pdf/pypdf/blob/0dd57738bbdcdb63f0fb43d8a6b3d222b6946595/pypdf/filters.py#L72-L143
Issue Tracking
https://github.com/py-pdf/pypdf/issues/3429
Patch
https://github.com/py-pdf/pypdf/pull/3430
Release Notes
https://github.com/py-pdf/pypdf/releases/tag/6.0.0
Mitigation
https://github.com/py-pdf/pypdf/security/advisories/GHSA-7hfw-26vp-jp8m
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