CVE-2025-5197Network attack vector

Service interruption via weight-name regex backtracking

Published Aug 6, 2025 · Updated Aug 6, 2025

Regular expression denial of service in Hugging Face Transformers before 4.53.0 allows remote attackers to interrupt model conversion. The convert_tf_weight_name_to_pt_weight_name function applies an inefficient regex to crafted TensorFlow weight names, causing catastrophic backtracking and excessive CPU use. The helper must process an attacker-controlled weight name; exploitation can stall the calling conversion process or a service that exposes it.

CVSS severity5.3
Medium
EPSS probability0.40%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Regular expression denial of service in Hugging Face Transformers before 4.53.0 allows remote attackers to interrupt model conversion. The convert_tf_weight_name_to_pt_weight_name function applies an inefficient regex to crafted TensorFlow weight names, causing catastrophic backtracking and excessive CPU use. The helper must process an attacker-controlled weight name; exploitation can stall the calling conversion process or a service that exposes it.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-5197
Published
Aug 6, 2025
Updated
Aug 6, 2025
Vendor
Hugging Face
Product
Hugging Face Transformers
Classifications
CWE-1333, CAPEC-492, T1499.004
Attack vector
network
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Aug 6, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 6, 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=unspecified <4.53.0

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

Hugging Face · Hugging Face Transformersversion=unspecified <4.53.0

Published CVSS scores

5.3huntr.devCVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L

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.

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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
CAPEC-492Regular Expression Exponential Blowup
T1499.004Endpoint Denial of Service: Application or System Exploitation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

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Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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