CVE-2024-6232Network attack vector

Service interruption via backtracking tar header regexes

Published Sep 3, 2024 · Updated Nov 3, 2025

Inefficient regexes in CPython's tarfile module allow attackers to interrupt services by supplying crafted tar archives. The _proc_pax method applies backtracking searches to attacker-controlled hdrcharset, PAX, and GNU sparse header fields instead of parsing each field in one pass. Reachability requires an application to parse an untrusted archive, and excessive CPU consumption can hang that processing path and interrupt the service.

CVSS severity7.5
High
EPSS probability2.20%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Inefficient regexes in CPython's tarfile module allow attackers to interrupt services by supplying crafted tar archives. The _proc_pax method applies backtracking searches to attacker-controlled hdrcharset, PAX, and GNU sparse header fields instead of parsing each field in one pass. Reachability requires an application to parse an untrusted archive, and excessive CPU consumption can hang that processing path and interrupt the service.

The record

CVE
CVE-2024-6232
Published
Sep 3, 2024
Updated
Nov 3, 2025
Vendor
Python Software Foundation
Product
CPython
Classifications
CWE-1333, T1499.004
Attack vector
network
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Sep 3, 2024CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Nov 3, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=0 <3.8.20
  2. Affected versionversion=3.10.0 <3.10.15
  3. Affected versionversion=3.11.0 <3.11.10
  4. Affected versionversion=3.12.0 <3.12.6
  5. Affected versionversion=3.13.0a1 <3.13.0rc2
  6. Affected versionversion=3.9.0 <3.9.20

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

Python Software Foundation · CPythonversion=0 <3.8.20; version=3.10.0 <3.10.15; version=3.11.0 <3.11.10; version=3.12.0 <3.12.6; version=3.13.0a1 <3.13.0rc2; version=3.9.0 <3.9.20

Published CVSS scores

7.5NISTCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectornetwork
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-1333Inefficient Regular Expression Complexity
T1499.004Application or System Exploitation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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