diff --git a/cinder/image/image_utils.py b/cinder/image/image_utils.py
index 6d59bc74303..c82d3734d00 100644
--- a/cinder/image/image_utils.py
+++ b/cinder/image/image_utils.py
@@ -54,13 +54,18 @@ image_helper_opts = [cfg.StrOpt('image_conversion_dir',
 CONF = cfg.CONF
 CONF.register_opts(image_helper_opts)
 
+QEMU_IMG_LIMITS = processutils.ProcessLimits(
+    cpu_time=2,
+    address_space=1 * units.Gi)
+
 
 def qemu_img_info(path, run_as_root=True):
     """Return a object containing the parsed output from qemu-img info."""
     cmd = ('env', 'LC_ALL=C', 'qemu-img', 'info', path)
     if os.name == 'nt':
         cmd = cmd[2:]
-    out, _err = utils.execute(*cmd, run_as_root=run_as_root)
+    out, _err = utils.execute(*cmd, run_as_root=run_as_root,
+                              prlimit=QEMU_IMG_LIMITS)
     return imageutils.QemuImgInfo(out)
 
 
diff --git a/cinder/tests/unit/test_image_utils.py b/cinder/tests/unit/test_image_utils.py
index 6bce1140fec..7c92e731179 100644
--- a/cinder/tests/unit/test_image_utils.py
+++ b/cinder/tests/unit/test_image_utils.py
@@ -38,7 +38,8 @@ class TestQemuImgInfo(test.TestCase):
 
         output = image_utils.qemu_img_info(test_path)
         mock_exec.assert_called_once_with('env', 'LC_ALL=C', 'qemu-img',
-                                          'info', test_path, run_as_root=True)
+                                          'info', test_path, run_as_root=True,
+                                          prlimit=image_utils.QEMU_IMG_LIMITS)
         self.assertEqual(mock_info.return_value, output)
 
     @mock.patch('cinder.openstack.common.imageutils.QemuImgInfo')
@@ -51,7 +52,8 @@ class TestQemuImgInfo(test.TestCase):
 
         output = image_utils.qemu_img_info(test_path, run_as_root=False)
         mock_exec.assert_called_once_with('env', 'LC_ALL=C', 'qemu-img',
-                                          'info', test_path, run_as_root=False)
+                                          'info', test_path, run_as_root=False,
+                                          prlimit=image_utils.QEMU_IMG_LIMITS)
         self.assertEqual(mock_info.return_value, output)
 
     @mock.patch('cinder.image.image_utils.os')
@@ -66,7 +68,8 @@ class TestQemuImgInfo(test.TestCase):
 
         output = image_utils.qemu_img_info(test_path)
         mock_exec.assert_called_once_with('qemu-img', 'info', test_path,
-                                          run_as_root=True)
+                                          run_as_root=True,
+                                          prlimit=image_utils.QEMU_IMG_LIMITS)
         self.assertEqual(mock_info.return_value, output)
 
     @mock.patch('cinder.utils.execute')
diff --git a/releasenotes/notes/apply-limits-to-qemu-img-29f722a1bf4b91f8.yaml b/releasenotes/notes/apply-limits-to-qemu-img-29f722a1bf4b91f8.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..1ec4c3e6246
--- /dev/null
+++ b/releasenotes/notes/apply-limits-to-qemu-img-29f722a1bf4b91f8.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+---
+security:
+  - The qemu-img tool now has resource limits applied
+    which prevent it from using more than 1GB of address
+    space or more than 2 seconds of CPU time. This provides
+    protection against denial of service attacks from
+    maliciously crafted or corrupted disk images.