Summary
fpdf2 implicitly loads external URLs and local image paths when rendering attacker-controlled content
fpdf2 implicitly dereferences image resource references supplied to rendering APIs. If an application passes untrusted HTML, SVG, template data, or image paths into those APIs, fpdf2 may issue outbound HTTP(S) requests or attempt to open local filesystem paths.
This behavior is relevant in applications that render untrusted or user-provided input without sanitizing or restricting embedded resource references.
Description
In affected versions, fpdf2 uses a shared internal image-loading mechanism for multiple features. This loader:
- fetches
http://andhttps://URLs over the network - opens other string values as local filesystem paths
During document processing, resource references embedded in input content are automatically dereferenced using this mechanism.
This behavior is reachable through:
FPDF.image()FPDF.write_html()via HTML<img src="...">FPDF.image()when rendering SVG files containing<image href="...">orxlink:href="...">- template image elements that forward values into
FPDF.image()
If an application renders attacker-controlled input through these APIs, that input can cause:
- outbound HTTP(S) requests to attacker-chosen destinations
- local file open attempts for attacker-chosen paths
This may enable Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF) in applications that render untrusted content.
Local file access impact is limited: the library attempts to open the referenced path, but successful embedding depends on the target being a valid and supported image or SVG resource.
file:// URLs are not specially handled; raw filesystem paths such as /path/to/file or ../../file.png are the relevant local-path cases.
Impact
This issue affects applications that render untrusted or partially trusted content using fpdf2.
Applications may be impacted if they:
- pass untrusted HTML into
write_html() - render untrusted SVG with embedded
<image>references - pass user-controlled strings into
image() - allow untrusted template definitions or template field values to control image paths
Potential impacts include:
- outbound requests to internal or external network services
- limited local file access attempts depending on file type and parsing success (limited to content that fpdf2 recognizes as a supported image or SVG resource)
The severity depends on how fpdf2 is integrated and whether untrusted input is allowed to control resource references.
Example scenarios
HTML:
pdf.write_html('<img src="http://127.0.0.1:8000/internal.png">')
SVG:
<image href="http://169.254.169.254/latest/meta-data/" />
Direct image path:
pdf.image("../../.env")
Workarounds
Applications can mitigate this by:
- not rendering untrusted HTML, SVG, or template content
- rejecting user-controlled
src/href/ image-path values - mapping resources through an application-defined allowlist
- converting user-supplied images to trusted in-memory objects before passing them to
fpdf2
Credits
- @kule500 for identifying SSRF via HTML handling
- @BudongJW for identifying SVG resource loading as an additional vector
- @redyank for analysis of the shared image loading mechanism
- @manop55555 for identifying a DNS rebinding bypass in the initial REMOTE_PUBLIC implementation
Untrusted input controls the target URL of a server-initiated request, which may reach internal services not otherwise accessible from outside. Typical impact: access to internal metadata services, internal APIs, or cloud credentials.
CVE-2026-114609 has a CVSS score of 5.8 (Medium). The vector is network-reachable, no 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 (2.8.8); 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.
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Kodem Kai can prioritize this vulnerability in your dependency tree and generate a fix recommendation.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2026-114609? CVE-2026-114609 is a medium-severity server-side request forgery (SSRF) vulnerability in fpdf2 (pip), affecting versions <= 2.8.7. It is fixed in 2.8.8. Untrusted input controls the target URL of a server-initiated request, which may reach internal services not otherwise accessible from outside.
- How severe is CVE-2026-114609? CVE-2026-114609 has a CVSS score of 5.8 (Medium). 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 fpdf2 are affected by CVE-2026-114609? fpdf2 (pip) versions <= 2.8.7 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2026-114609? Yes. CVE-2026-114609 is fixed in 2.8.8. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2026-114609 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2026-114609 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-2026-114609 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-2026-114609? Upgrade
fpdf2to 2.8.8 or later.