# CVE-2014-1933: Pillow Temporary file name leakage

> Local attackers can exploit predictable temporary file names in PIL to perform symlink attacks, potentially reading or modifying arbitrary files.

- **Severity:** Low 2.1 (`AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:P/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 17 Apr 2014
- **Updated:** 6 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2014-1933, GHSA-r854-96gq-rfg3, PYSEC-2014-23

## What is CVE-2014-1933?

CVE-2014-1933 is a low-severity path traversal vulnerability in Python Pillow, published on 17 Apr 2014. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

The (1) JpegImagePlugin.py and (2) EpsImagePlugin.py scripts in Python Image Library (PIL) 1.1.7 and earlier and Pillow before 2.3.1 uses the names of temporary files on the command line, which makes it easier for local users to conduct symlink attacks by listing the processes.

Weakness: CWE-264

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2014-1933?

3 open source packages ship an affected version, including pillow. It affects 2 products.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `pillow` | PyPI | All versions | 2.3.1 |
| `pillow` | PyPI | All versions | 2.3.1 |
| `pillow` | PyPI | All versions | 2.3.1 |

Products: Python Pillow, Pythonware Python Imaging Library.

## How do I fix CVE-2014-1933?

Upgrade pillow to 2.3.1 or later.

## Is CVE-2014-1933 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2014-1933 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Python Pillow

- [CVE-2014-3007](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2014-3007/): Pillow command injection (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2026-96639](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-96639/): Pillow multi-frame loaders can reuse stale native image storage after mode transitions (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2022-30595](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-30595/): Buffer over-flow in Pillow (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2021-25289](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-25289/): Out of bounds write in Pillow (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2016-4009](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-4009/): Pillow Integer overflow in ImagingResampleHorizontal (critical 9.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2014-1933 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2014-1933 is a low-severity path traversal vulnerability in Python Pillow, published on 17 Apr 2014. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2014-1933 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- pillow (PyPI): affected all versions; fixed in 2.3.1
- pillow (PyPI): affected all versions; fixed in 2.3.1
- pillow (PyPI): affected all versions; fixed in 2.3.1

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2014-1933/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2014-1933/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2014-1933
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2014-1933
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2014-1933

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2014-1933/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.