URL validation bypass via bracketed-hostname parser confusion
Published Jan 31, 2025 · Updated Jul 31, 2026
Improper input validation in CPython urllib.parse allows remote attackers to trigger differential URL parsing with bracketed hostnames. urlsplit and urlparse extracted and validated only the text between embedded square brackets, accepting invalid prefix, suffix, or unmatched-bracket forms instead of rejecting the authority. Exploitation requires a consuming application to parse attacker-controlled URLs and trust the discrepant result, allowing hostname-based security decisions to diverge.
Summary
What happened
Improper input validation in CPython urllib.parse allows remote attackers to trigger differential URL parsing with bracketed hostnames. urlsplit and urlparse extracted and validated only the text between embedded square brackets, accepting invalid prefix, suffix, or unmatched-bracket forms instead of rejecting the authority. Exploitation requires a consuming application to parse attacker-controlled URLs and trust the discrepant result, allowing hostname-based security decisions to diverge.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2025-0938
- Published
- Jan 31, 2025
- Updated
- Jul 31, 2026
- Vendor
- Python Software Foundation
- Product
- CPython
- Classifications
- CWE-20
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Jan 31, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Jul 31, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
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- Affected versionversion=0 <3.9.22
- Affected versionversion=3.10.0 <3.10.17
- Affected versionversion=3.11.0 <3.11.12
- Affected versionversion=3.12.0 <3.12.9
- Affected versionversion=3.13.0 <3.13.2
- Affected versionversion=3.14.0a1 <3.14.0a5
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What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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Attacks
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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