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Linux Distros Unpatched Vulnerability : CVE-2026-22691

🗓️ 10 Jan 2026 00:00:00Reported by TenableType 
nessus
 nessus
🔗 www.tenable.com👁 2 Views

Unpatched pypdf CVE-2026-22691 causes long runtimes for malformed startxref in non-strict mode.

Related
Refs
Code
ReporterTitlePublishedViews
Family
IBM Security Bulletins
Security Bulletin: IBM Watson Discovery Cartridge affected by vulnerabilities in pypdf-6.5.0-py3-none-any.whl
7 May 202619:10
ibm
Chainguard
CVE-2026-22691 vulnerabilities
12 Jan 202619:17
cgr
Circl
CVE-2026-22691
24 Jan 202621:26
circl
CNNVD
pypdf 安全漏洞
10 Jan 202600:00
cnnvd
CVE
CVE-2026-22691
10 Jan 202604:46
cve
Cvelist
CVE-2026-22691 pypdf has possible long runtimes for malformed startxref
10 Jan 202604:46
cvelist
Debian CVE
CVE-2026-22691
10 Jan 202604:46
debiancve
EUVD
EUVD-2026-1877
10 Jan 202604:46
euvd
Github Security Blog
pypdf has possible long runtimes for malformed startxref
9 Jan 202619:48
github
NVD
CVE-2026-22691
10 Jan 202605:16
nvd
Rows per page
#%NASL_MIN_LEVEL 80900
##
# (C) Tenable, Inc.
##

include('compat.inc');

if (description)
{
  script_id(282555);
  script_version("1.8");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"plugin_modification_date", value:"2026/05/22");

  script_cve_id("CVE-2026-22691");

  script_name(english:"Linux Distros Unpatched Vulnerability : CVE-2026-22691");

  script_set_attribute(attribute:"synopsis", value:
"The Linux/Unix host has one or more packages installed with a vulnerability that the vendor indicates will not be
patched.");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"description", value:
"The Linux/Unix host has one or more packages installed that are impacted by a vulnerability without a vendor supplied
patch available.

  - pypdf is a free and open-source pure-python PDF library. Prior to version 6.6.0, pypdf has possible long
    runtimes for malformed startxref. An attacker who uses this vulnerability can craft a PDF which leads to
    possibly long runtimes for invalid startxref entries. When rebuilding the cross-reference table, PDF files
    with lots of whitespace characters become problematic. Only the non-strict reading mode is affected. Only
    the non-strict reading mode is affected. This issue has been patched in version 6.6.0. (CVE-2026-22691)

Note that Nessus relies on the presence of the package as reported by the vendor.");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"see_also", value:"https://security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2026-22691");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"see_also", value:"https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2026-22691");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"solution", value:
"There is no known solution at this time.");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"agent", value:"unix");
  script_set_cvss_base_vector("CVSS2#AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:P/I:N/A:N");
  script_set_cvss_temporal_vector("CVSS2#E:U/RL:U/RC:C");
  script_set_cvss3_base_vector("CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L");
  script_set_cvss3_temporal_vector("CVSS:3.0/E:U/RL:U/RC:C");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cvss4_vector", value:"CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:L/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cvss4_supplemental", value:"CVSS:4.0/U:Amber");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cvss4_threat_vector", value:"CVSS:4.0/E:U");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cvss_score_source", value:"CVE-2026-22691");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cvss3_score_source", value:"CVE-2026-22691");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cvss4_score_source", value:"CVE-2026-22691");

  script_set_attribute(attribute:"exploitability_ease", value:"No known exploits are available");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"exploit_available", value:"false");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"vendor_unpatched", value:"true");

  script_set_attribute(attribute:"vuln_publication_date", value:"2026/01/10");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"plugin_publication_date", value:"2026/01/10");

  script_set_attribute(attribute:"plugin_type", value:"local");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"cpe:/o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:16.04:-:lts");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"cpe:/o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:18.04:-:lts");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"cpe:/o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:20.04:-:lts");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"cpe:/o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:22.04:-:lts");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"cpe:/o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:24.04:-:lts");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"cpe:/o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:25.04");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"cpe:/o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:25.10");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"cpe:/o:debian:debian_linux:11.0");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"cpe:/o:debian:debian_linux:12.0");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"cpe:/o:debian:debian_linux:13.0");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"p-cpe:/a:canonical:ubuntu_linux:pypdf");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"p-cpe:/a:canonical:ubuntu_linux:pypdf2");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"p-cpe:/a:debian:debian_linux:pypdf");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"p-cpe:/a:debian:debian_linux:pypdf2");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"generated_plugin", value:"current");
  script_end_attributes();

  script_category(ACT_GATHER_INFO);
  script_family(english:"Misc.");

  script_copyright(english:"This script is Copyright (C) 2026 and is owned by Tenable, Inc. or an Affiliate thereof.");

  script_dependencies("ssh_get_info2.nasl", "set_linux_os_id.nasl");
  script_require_keys("Host/cpu", "Host/local_checks_enabled", "global_settings/vendor_unpatched", "Host/OS/identifier");
  script_require_ports("Host/OS/Debian Linux-11", "Host/OS/Debian Linux-12", "Host/OS/Debian Linux-13", "Host/OS/Ubuntu Linux-16.04", "Host/OS/Ubuntu Linux-18.04", "Host/OS/Ubuntu Linux-20.04", "Host/OS/Ubuntu Linux-22.04", "Host/OS/Ubuntu Linux-24.04", "Host/OS/Ubuntu Linux-25.04", "Host/OS/Ubuntu Linux-25.10");

  exit(0);
}

if (!get_kb_item("global_settings/vendor_unpatched")) exit(0, "Unpatched Vulnerabilities Detection not active.");
if (!get_kb_item("Host/local_checks_enabled")) audit(AUDIT_LOCAL_CHECKS_NOT_ENABLED);
if (empty_or_null(get_one_kb_item("Host/Debian/dpkg-l"))) audit(AUDIT_PACKAGE_LIST_MISSING);

include('linux_unpatched.inc');

var distro_constraints_array = {
  "Debian Linux-12": {
    "package_manager": "dpkg-l",
    "constraints": [
      {
        "release": "12",
        "pkgs": [
          {"reference": "python3-pypdf"},
          {"reference": "python3-pypdf2"}
        ]
      }
    ]
  },
  "Debian Linux-13": {
    "package_manager": "dpkg-l",
    "constraints": [
      {
        "release": "13",
        "pkgs": [
          {"reference": "python3-pypdf"}
        ]
      }
    ]
  },
  "Debian Linux-11": {
    "package_manager": "dpkg-l",
    "constraints": [
      {
        "release": "11",
        "pkgs": [
          {"reference": "python3-pypdf2"}
        ]
      }
    ]
  },
  "Ubuntu Linux-16.04": {
    "package_manager": "dpkg-l",
    "constraints": [
      {
        "release": "16.04",
        "pkgs": [
          {"reference": "pypdf2"}
        ]
      }
    ]
  },
  "Ubuntu Linux-18.04": {
    "package_manager": "dpkg-l",
    "constraints": [
      {
        "release": "18.04",
        "pkgs": [
          {"reference": "pypdf2"}
        ]
      }
    ]
  },
  "Ubuntu Linux-20.04": {
    "package_manager": "dpkg-l",
    "constraints": [
      {
        "release": "20.04",
        "pkgs": [
          {"reference": "pypdf2"}
        ]
      }
    ]
  },
  "Ubuntu Linux-22.04": {
    "package_manager": "dpkg-l",
    "constraints": [
      {
        "release": "22.04",
        "pkgs": [
          {"reference": "pypdf2"}
        ]
      }
    ]
  },
  "Ubuntu Linux-24.04": {
    "package_manager": "dpkg-l",
    "constraints": [
      {
        "release": "24.04",
        "pkgs": [
          {"reference": "pypdf"},
          {"reference": "pypdf2"}
        ]
      }
    ]
  },
  "Ubuntu Linux-25.04": {
    "package_manager": "dpkg-l",
    "constraints": [
      {
        "release": "25.04",
        "pkgs": [
          {"reference": "pypdf"},
          {"reference": "pypdf2"}
        ]
      }
    ]
  },
  "Ubuntu Linux-25.10": {
    "package_manager": "dpkg-l",
    "constraints": [
      {
        "release": "25.10",
        "pkgs": [
          {"reference": "pypdf"}
        ]
      }
    ]
  }
};

var distro_constraints_values = linux_unpatched::get_distro_constraints(distro_constraints_arr:distro_constraints_array);
if (empty_or_null(distro_constraints_values)) audit(AUDIT_HOST_NOT, 'affected');
var report = linux_unpatched::check_unpatched_constraints(distro_constraints_values:distro_constraints_values);

if (!empty_or_null(report))
{
  security_report_v4(
      port       : 0,
      severity   : SECURITY_WARNING,
      extra      : report
  );
  exit(0);
}
else
{
  audit(AUDIT_HOST_NOT, 'affected');
}

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22 May 2026 00:00Current
5.5Medium risk
Vulners AI Score5.5
CVSS 3.15.3
CVSS 46.9
EPSS0.00023
SSVC
2