# CVE-2026-119208: pypdf denial of service via forged encrypted PDF page count

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-119208-pypdf-is-a-free-and-open-source-pure-python-pdf-library-prior-to  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-10-29. Updated: 2026-10-29  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2026-119208 · Severity: high · CVSS 4 · Published 2026-10-29

pypdf is a Python library for reading and manipulating PDF files. When processing an encrypted PDF with a crafted page count value, the library can consume excessive memory and CPU time even after successful decryption, allowing an attacker to cause a denial of service by providing a malicious PDF document.

Technologies: [Pypdf](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/pypdf-pypdf), [pypdf (PyPI)](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/pypdf). Vendors: [Pypdf](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/pypdf), [PyPI](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/pypi).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2026-119208 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-119208 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2026-119208?** High severity, with a CVSS score of 4, published 29 October 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** Pypdf before 6.21.3; pypdf (PyPI) < 6.21.3, ECOSYSTEM:introduced=0,fixed=6.21.3.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2026-119208?** Yes. pypdf (PyPI): upgrade to 6.21.3 or later. Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.

**How is CVE-2026-119208 attacked?** It is attacked over the network, in a software library.

**Am I affected by CVE-2026-119208?** Check whether you run Pypdf or pypdf (PyPI) at an affected version. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

## How to fix

- pypdf (PyPI): upgrade to 6.21.3 or later

  ```sh
  pip install "pypdf>=6.21.3"
  ```


## Technical details

The vulnerability exists in the get_num_pages() function, which returns the unvalidated /Count value from encrypted PDFs without walking the actual page tree, even after decryption. An attacker can craft an encrypted PDF with a forged /Count value that is much larger than the actual number of pages, causing subsequent operations like page_labels generation to allocate excessive memory. The fix validates the page count by walking the page tree after successful decryption rather than trusting the declared count.

## Affected products

- pypdf pypdf before 6.21.3

## Identifiers

- CVE-2026-119208
- GHSA-62m5-6wh8-28x7

## Timeline

- 2026-10-27: patched
- 2026-10-29: disclosed

## References

- [https://github.com/py-pdf/pypdf/commit/82b91951dc74496bb3efe6465434f041bb6a5e6b](https://github.com/py-pdf/pypdf/commit/82b91951dc74496bb3efe6465434f041bb6a5e6b)
- [https://github.com/py-pdf/pypdf/pull/4270](https://github.com/py-pdf/pypdf/pull/4270)

## Related threats

- [pypdf memory exhaustion in cross-reference stream parsing](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-119209-pypdf-is-a-free-and-open-source-pure-python-pdf-library-prior-to)
- [pypdf excessive memory consumption in strict mode PDF parsing](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-119207-pypdf-is-a-free-and-open-source-pure-python-pdf-library-prior-to)
- [pypdf denial of service via crafted page labels](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-119206-pypdf-is-a-free-and-open-source-pure-python-pdf-library-prior-to)
- [pypdf infinite loop in DictionaryObject cloning](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-119205-pypdf-is-a-free-and-open-source-pure-python-pdf-library-prior-to)
- [pypdf excessive memory consumption in PDF page tree parsing](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-119204-pypdf-is-a-free-and-open-source-pure-python-pdf-library-prior-to)