CVE-2026-102996
pypdf project pypdf
Summary
pypdf is a free and open-source pure-python PDF library. Prior to 6.18.1, a crafted PDF can provide a TrueType or Type1 simple font with an unusually large /Widths array, causing pypdf/_font.py Font._collect_tt_t1_character_widths to process entries beyond the 256 character codes meaningful for a simple font and consume excessive memory during operations such as text extraction. This issue is fixed in version 6.18.1.
Published 2026-09-30 · first seen here 2026-10-10
Analysis & write-ups
No technical write-up from a research team yet. Contact Zero checks Unit 42, Google/Mandiant, Microsoft, Talos, CrowdStrike, Rapid7, watchTowr and others several times a day, plus NVD and CISA reference links.
Where it shows in your logs
Server or web application · Denial of service medium confidence
What to look for
- Service crashes or restarts lined up with bursts of traffic from a few sources
- The application's process (w3wp.exe, java, tomcat, node, php-fpm, httpd, python) starting shells or LOLBins (cmd, powershell, sh, bash, curl, wget, certutil)
- New script files in web roots (.jsp, .aspx, .php): a web shell
- Requests to unusual URLs on the application from internet IPs right before any of the above
- Outbound connections from the server to new external IPs
Data sources
Web server and WAF logs · ATT&CK DS0015 Application Log Content
- Sentinel
W3CIISLogAppServiceHTTPLogsAzureDiagnostics (Application Gateway / Front Door WAF)_Im_WebSession- Splunk
Web.Webms:iis:autoaccess_combinedWAF / proxy sourcetypes- CrowdStrike
Falcon Next-Gen SIEM: third-party web / WAF / proxy logs
Process creation · ATT&CK DS0009 Process Creation
- Sentinel
DeviceProcessEventsSecurityEvent (4688)Sysmon Event ID 1_Im_ProcessCreate- Splunk
Endpoint.ProcessesXmlWinEventLog:Microsoft-Windows-Sysmon/OperationalWinEventLog:Security (4688)- CrowdStrike
ProcessRollup2SyntheticProcessRollup2
File creation · ATT&CK DS0022 File Creation
- Sentinel
DeviceFileEventsSysmon Event ID 11_Im_FileEvent- Splunk
Endpoint.FilesystemSysmon Event ID 11- CrowdStrike
NewExecutableWrittenNewScriptWritten*FileWritten events
Network connections · ATT&CK DS0029 Network Connection Creation / Network Traffic Flow
- Sentinel
DeviceNetworkEventsCommonSecurityLog (firewall)_Im_NetworkSession- Splunk
Network_Traffic.All_TrafficFirewall sourcetypes (pan:traffic, fortigate_traffic, cisco:asa)- CrowdStrike
NetworkConnectIP4NetworkReceiveAcceptIP4NetworkConnectIP6
A generic baseline worked out from the product type and weakness (CWE-400), not a detection. Check table and field names against your environment. Hunt queries for Sigma, Splunk, Sentinel and CrowdStrike are coming.