---
id: CVE-2026-119209
aliases:
  - GHSA-x3rh-gjgm-fmqc
title: pypdf has possible large memory usage when parsing cross-reference streams
summary: pypdf has possible large memory usage when parsing cross-reference streams
severity: high
vendor: pypdf
product: pypdf
ecosystem: pip
affected:
  - pypdf < 6.21.3
patched:
  - pypdf 6.21.3
published: '2026-10-30'
updated: '2026-10-30'
sourceUpdated: '2026-10-30T23:15:04.529631202Z'
source: OSV
sourceUrl: 'https://osv.dev/vulnerability/GHSA-x3rh-gjgm-fmqc'
references:
  - url: 'https://github.com/py-pdf/pypdf/security/advisories/GHSA-x3rh-gjgm-fmqc'
  - url: 'https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-119209'
  - url: 'https://github.com/py-pdf/pypdf/pull/4269'
  - url: >-
      https://github.com/py-pdf/pypdf/commit/a93fe3a901fd00af38f0a105c3ba7175fa72dcb4
  - url: 'https://github.com/py-pdf/pypdf'
  - url: 'https://github.com/py-pdf/pypdf/releases/tag/6.21.3'
  - url: 'https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-x3rh-gjgm-fmqc'
tags:
  - osv
  - pip
  - ghsa
epss: 0.00268
epssPercentile: 0.19022
cwe:
  - CWE-400
  - CWE-770
ingestedAt: '2026-10-30T23:11:25.770Z'
---

## Overview

### Impact

An attacker who uses this vulnerability can craft a PDF which leads to large memory usage. This requires opening a file with cross-reference streams.

### Patches

This has been fixed in [pypdf==6.21.3](https://github.com/py-pdf/pypdf/releases/tag/6.21.3).

### Workarounds

If you cannot upgrade yet, consider applying the changes from PR [#4269](https://github.com/py-pdf/pypdf/pull/4269).

## Affected packages

- `pypdf < 6.21.3`

## Remediation

Upgrade to a patched release:

- `pypdf 6.21.3`