Summary
There is a heap buffer overflow when writing a sufficiently large (>64k encoded with default settings) image in the DDS format due to writing into a buffer without checking for available space.
This only affects users who save untrusted data as a compressed DDS image.
- Unclear how large the potential write could be. It is likely limited by process segfault, so it's not necessarily deterministic. It may be practically unbounded.
- Unclear if there's a restriction on the bytes that could be emitted. It's likely that the only restriction is that the bytes would be emitted in chunks of 8 or 16.
This was introduced in Pillow 11.2.0 when the feature was added.
Impact
CVE-2025-48379 has a CVSS score of 7.1 (High). The vector is requires local access, low privileges required, and no user interaction. A CVSS score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether this affects your application depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable in your environment. A fixed version is available (11.3.0); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.
Affected versions
Security releases
Kodem intelligence
Severity tells you how bad this could be in the worst case. It does not tell you whether you are exposed. Exploitability and impact are functions of runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A vulnerable package can sit in your dependency tree and never run.
Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter. Kodem's runtime-powered SCA identifies whether this CVE is reachable in your applications.
Remediation advice
Kodem Kai can prioritize this vulnerability in your dependency tree and generate a fix recommendation.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2025-48379? CVE-2025-48379 is a high-severity security vulnerability in pillow (pip), affecting versions >= 11.2.0, < 11.3.0. It is fixed in 11.3.0.
- How severe is CVE-2025-48379? CVE-2025-48379 has a CVSS score of 7.1 (High). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.
- Which versions of pillow are affected by CVE-2025-48379? pillow (pip) versions >= 11.2.0, < 11.3.0 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2025-48379? Yes. CVE-2025-48379 is fixed in 11.3.0. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2025-48379 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2025-48379 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
- What actually determines whether CVE-2025-48379 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.
- How do I fix CVE-2025-48379? Upgrade
pillowto 11.3.0 or later.