CVE-2021-21235

Name: CVE-2021-21235
Creator: NVD / NIST
Published: 2021-01-06T02:15:12.967+00:00
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

MEDIUMCVSS 6.5/10EPSS 1.52%

Last modified Jun 17, 2026

CVE-2021-21235 is a medium-severity vulnerability rated 6.5/10 on the CVSS scale. kamadak-exif is an exif parsing library written in pure Rust. In kamadak-exif version 0.5.2, there is an infinite loop in parsing crafted PNG files. EPSS estimates a 1.52% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

kamadak-exif is an exif parsing library written in pure Rust. In kamadak-exif version 0.5.2, there is an infinite loop in parsing crafted PNG files. Specifically, reader::read_from_container can cause an infinite loop when a crafted PNG file is given. This is fixed in version 0.5.3. No workaround is available. Applications that do not pass files with the PNG signature to Reader::read_from_container are not affected.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

6.5/10

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

EPSS Probability

1.52%

71.3th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Kamadak-Exif Project	Kamadak-Exif	0.5.2

References

https://crates.io/crates/kamadak-exifProduct, Third Party Advisory
https://github.com/kamadak/exif-rs/commit/f21df24616ea611c5d5d0e0e2f8042eb74d5ff48Patch, Third Party Advisory
https://github.com/kamadak/exif-rs/security/advisories/GHSA-px9g-8hgv-jvg2Third Party Advisory
https://crates.io/crates/kamadak-exifProduct, Third Party Advisory
https://github.com/kamadak/exif-rs/commit/f21df24616ea611c5d5d0e0e2f8042eb74d5ff48Patch, Third Party Advisory
https://github.com/kamadak/exif-rs/security/advisories/GHSA-px9g-8hgv-jvg2Third Party Advisory

Timeline

Published: Jan 6, 2021
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2021-21235?

How severe is CVE-2021-21235?

CVE-2021-21235 has a CVSS score of 6.5/10 (MEDIUM severity). The EPSS model estimates a 1.52% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2021-21235?

Check the vendor references and advisories linked above for patched versions and mitigation guidance. You can also run a Strix scan to test if your systems are affected.

Are you affected by CVE-2021-21235?

Run a free Strix scan to check your systems for this vulnerability.

Scan your code now

Source: NVD / NIST