CVE-2023-50447

RCE in Python Pillow ≤ 10.1.0

RCE

Published

19 January 2024

Modified

21 November 2024

CVSS Score v3.1 8.1

Click a component to see what it means

Raw vector

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

EPSS Score 0.017 77th percentile

Risk Priority 63 floored blend · peak EPSS

CVSS and EPSS are reproduced from their sources (NVD, FIRST EPSS). Risk Priority is our own derived reading, not an NVD score.

Summary

CVE-2023-50447 is a high-severity Code Injection (CWE-94) vulnerability in Python Pillow. Its CVSS base score is 8.1 (High).

Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Junk Data (T1001.001); ranked in the top 23% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

The strongest mitigations our analysis identified map to SA-11 (Developer Testing and Evaluation) and SI-10 (Information Input Validation) — see the control section below for these in your framework.

OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)

EU & UK References

🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2024-0230

Vulnerability Data

Pillow through 10.1.0 allows PIL.ImageMath.eval Arbitrary Code Execution via the environment parameter, a different vulnerability than CVE-2022-22817 (which was about the expression parameter).

CWE(s): CWE-94 CWE-95

Related Threats

MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques

T1001.001 Junk Data Command And Control

Adversaries may add junk data to protocols used for command and control to make detection more difficult.

attack.mitre.org →

T1001.003 Protocol or Service Impersonation Command And Control

Adversaries may impersonate legitimate protocols or web service traffic to disguise command and control activity and thwart analysis efforts.

attack.mitre.org →

T1003.002 Security Account Manager Credential Access

Adversaries may attempt to extract credential material from the Security Account Manager (SAM) database either through in-memory techniques or through the Windows Registry where the SAM database is stored.

attack.mitre.org →

T1003.006 DCSync Credential Access

Adversaries may attempt to access credentials and other sensitive information by abusing a Windows Domain Controller's application programming interface (API)(Citation: Microsoft DRSR Dec 2017) (Citation: Microsoft GetNCCChanges) (Citati…

attack.mitre.org →

T1003.007 Proc Filesystem Credential Access

Adversaries may gather credentials from the proc filesystem or `/proc`.

attack.mitre.org →

T1003.008 /etc/passwd and /etc/shadow Credential Access

Adversaries may attempt to dump the contents of <code>/etc/passwd</code> and <code>/etc/shadow</code> to enable offline password cracking.

attack.mitre.org →

Derived from this CVE’s CWE(s) via the direct CWE→ATT&CK cross-walk.

CVEs Like This One

CVE-2023-7101Same product: Debian Debian Linux

CVE-2020-8163Same product: Debian Debian Linux

CVE-2021-26120Same product: Debian Debian Linux

CVE-2017-7494Same product: Debian Debian Linux

CVE-2009-1151Same product: Debian Debian Linux

CVE-2019-0193Same product: Debian Debian Linux

CVE-2018-7602Same product: Debian Debian Linux

CVE-2024-13861Same product: Debian Debian Linux

CVE-2025-24893Shared CWE-94, CWE-95

CVE-2023-29509Shared CWE-94, CWE-95

Affected Assets

python

pillow

≤ 10.1.0

debian

debian linux

10.0

Mitigating Controls

Control response

Prevent

Stop it (NIST 800-53)

—

Detect

Catch it (NIST detect / respond)

—

Harden

Shrink the surface (DISA STIG)

—

Validate

Prove the fix (OWASP ASVS)

V1.3.1
V1.3.2

Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5) AI

SA-11 Developer Testing and Evaluation good match

Developer testing and evaluation finds code paths that accept and execute externally influenced strings.

SI-10 Information Input Validation good match

Input validation directly stops untrusted data from being used to construct executable code without neutralization.

AC-6 Least Privilege partial match

Least privilege limits the damage an injected code fragment can perform once executed.

SA-15 Development Process, Standards, and Tools partial match

Requiring documented secure development standards and tools enforces use of safe code-generation APIs and escaping.

Mitigating Controls (NIST CSF 2.0) AI

Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→CSF cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.

PR.PS-06 mostly match

blocks

PR.PS-06's SDLC practices directly target injection flaws via secure coding and testing (mostly), yet as a single broad outcome it leaves many code-generation specifics unaddressed (partial).

PR.DS-10 none match

blocks

PR.DS-10 protects runtime data confidentiality/integrity but has no bearing on neutralizing externally influenced input during code generation, so neither direction shows any preventive effect.

Mitigating Controls (ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A) AI

Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→ISO cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.

A.5.14 Information transfer partial match

removes

A.5.15 Access control partial match

removes

A.5.16 Identity management partial match

removes

A.5.17 Authentication information partial match

removes

A.5.18 Access rights partial match

removes

A.8.10 Information deletion partial match

removes