CVE-2021-22204: in the CISA KEV catalogue
ExifTool Remote Code Execution Vulnerability. CISA added CVE-2021-22204 to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalogue on 2021-11-17 with a default due date of 2021-12-01. Known ransomware campaign use: Unknown. Forensic triage flag: No.
Improper neutralization of user data in the DjVu file format in Exiftool versions 7.44 and up allows arbitrary code execution when parsing the malicious image (CISA description)
- Vendor / product
- Perl Exiftool
- CWE
- CWE-95
- CISA required action
- Apply updates per vendor instructions.
- EPSS
- 100%, percentile 99 (scored 2026-11-03)
EPSS puts nearly every time in 100 odds (100%) on exploitation activity being observed in the next 30 days. Its score is higher than or equal to that of 99% of scored CVEs. This is a model estimate about exploitation anywhere, not about your environment.
Vendor and reference links (from CISA)
Your own deadline under CISA BOD 26-04 depends on exposure, automatability and technical impact: work it out with the BOD 26-04 calculator.
Frequently asked questions
Is CVE-2021-22204 in the CISA KEV catalogue?
Yes. CISA added CVE-2021-22204 (ExifTool Remote Code Execution Vulnerability) to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalogue on 2021-11-17. CISA's default due date for it is 2021-12-01.
Is CVE-2021-22204 used in ransomware attacks?
CISA marks known ransomware campaign use as Unknown for CVE-2021-22204. That means CISA lacks confirmation, not that ransomware groups do not use it.
What should I do about CVE-2021-22204?
CISA's required action: Apply updates per vendor instructions.
Sources
- CISA, Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog (accessed 2026-11-03)
- FIRST, Exploit Prediction Scoring System (EPSS) (EPSS by FIRST; scores generated by Empirical Security)
- NVD record for CVE-2021-22204