Summary
Arbitrary code execution in ExifTool
Workarounds
No.
References
https://twitter.com/wcbowling/status/1385803927321415687
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-22204
For more information
If you have any questions or comments about this advisory:
- Open an issue in exiftool-vendored
Impact
Arbitrary code execution can occur when running exiftool against files with hostile metadata payloads.
GHSA-4WHQ-R978-2X68 has a CVSS score of 7.8 (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 (14.3.0); 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.
Already deployed Kodem?
See it in your environmentNew to Kodem? Get a demo →Remediation advice
ExifTool has already been patched in version 12.24. exiftool-vendored, which vendors ExifTool, includes this patch in v14.3.0.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is GHSA-4WHQ-R978-2X68? GHSA-4WHQ-R978-2X68 is a high-severity security vulnerability in exiftool-vendored (npm), affecting versions < 14.3.0. It is fixed in 14.3.0.
- How severe is GHSA-4WHQ-R978-2X68? GHSA-4WHQ-R978-2X68 has a CVSS score of 7.8 (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 exiftool-vendored are affected by GHSA-4WHQ-R978-2X68? exiftool-vendored (npm) versions < 14.3.0 is affected.
- Is there a fix for GHSA-4WHQ-R978-2X68? Yes. GHSA-4WHQ-R978-2X68 is fixed in 14.3.0. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is GHSA-4WHQ-R978-2X68 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether GHSA-4WHQ-R978-2X68 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 GHSA-4WHQ-R978-2X68 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 GHSA-4WHQ-R978-2X68? Upgrade
exiftool-vendoredto 14.3.0 or later.