CVE-2026-19445 — Use-after-free of a server-side SSLContext when sni_callback switches contexts
A remote, unauthenticated TLS client can make a server crash or call through a freed pointer if its sni_callback assigns a different context to SSLSocket.context (the documented way to select a certificate per server name) and nothing else keeps the original ssl.SSLContext alive. Typical cases are servers that create an SSLContext per connection or replace it while connections are open; servers that wrap their listening socket with it are not affected. Mitigation: keep a reference to every SSLContext that sets sni_callback for the lifetime of the server. TLS clients are not affected.
Who exploits it and how urgent it is
A 0–100 score combining confirmed exploitation, ransomware and APT use, public exploits, EPSS and severity.
How the score was calculated
- EPSS 0.4% (30-day exploitation probability)+5
- Technical severity (critical)+10
The score orders the patch queue; it does not replace your asset context (internet exposure, criticality, compensating controls).
Triage
Is it exploited, how likely is exploitation, what does it touch, and how severe do the sources call it.
Remediation
Fixes and mitigations documented by the sources — linked to the original advisory.
No fix documented by the sources we poll. That does not mean none exists: check the vendor advisory.
First 24 hours
Ordered from the record’s own fields — exposure first, because you cannot patch what you have not found. A rule-generated starting point.
- Identify exposed assets running the affected vendor/product/version combinations (Python CPython).
- The attack is network-based and needs no privileges: restrict exposure (ACLs, VPN, WAF) until patched.
- No fix documented in the sources: reduce exposure and monitor the vendor advisory.
- Search available logs for exploit probes matching the vulnerability class (memory corruption), errors and authentication anomalies.
Affected scope
Vendor, product and versions as the sources word them.
Attack characteristics
The CVSS vector, decoded. It describes the attack, not your exposure to it.
Every base score collected
Sources score independently and may disagree; each row says who scored it and under which version.
| Score | Version | Severity | Expl. | Impact | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9.2 | CVSS 4.0 | Critical | — | — | cna@python.org via NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| 9.2 | CVSS 4.0 | Critical | — | — | PSF via CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:H/AT:P/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:L/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X (score shown at the top: cna@python.org) Weakness MITRE
Weakness class according to MITRE’s CWE catalog.
Detection
Read off the CVSS vector and the weakness class. Starting points, not tested rules.
- Prioritize edge telemetry for the network-reachable component (proxy, WAF, IDS/IPS).
- Correlate service crashes/restarts with inbound traffic; repeated crashes may indicate attempts.
Timeline
What happened to this CVE, newest first.
- 2026
- Affected products added · python software foundation/cpython
- Record published
- CVSS changed · 9.2
- Source status changed · → Awaiting Analysis
- Record created in this database
- CVE published
Source activity
Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.
- 1× Official description updated · Oct 15, 2026 – Oct 15, 2026
References
11 on the record
- github.com/python/cpython/commit/34a53dce8174da2fceb12fe084a4def02a10053d
- github.com/python/cpython/commit/ec44b5a3258cbda947d5e07242ee562ed05ef24b
- github.com/python/cpython/commit/b12968cefe69ca1dcb8606c832ff73ee7dbf4ba8
- github.com/python/cpython/pull/158504
- github.com/python/cpython/commit/d8717ed01717a9641686e6e6f83f0ab8af235e2c
- github.com/python/cpython/commit/46133cd57d309652139ada74014aca7665ac552b
- github.com/python/cpython/commit/cd7e51e7d4563866fbaa1e2521ae69b45daf3698
- github.com/python/cpython/commit/63fab143d94cafae71850831acfb52041ba44af7
- github.com/python/cpython/issues/156293
- mail.python.org/archives/list/security-announce@python.org/thread/QMQIUQB6WGGC3MI7I3W
- www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/09/30/17
Elsewhere on this site
Related CVEs (same products)
- High CVE-2026-19553 SSLContext.wrap_bio() missing validation of server_hostname parameter 15d
- Medium CVE-2026-12345 Race condition in tempfile.TemporaryDirectory cleanup allows deleting files outside the temporary directory 16d
- High CVE-2026-82049 tarfile extraction filters allow file modification and content disclosure via hard link to symlink Sep 14, 2026
- Medium CVE-2026-87910 tarfile hardlink fallback ignores custom extraction filter rejection via None Sep 11, 2026
- Low CVE-2026-15310 zipfile: bzip2/LZMA/Zstandard members decompress without a max_length bound, defeating chunked-read memory limits Aug 25, 2026
- Medium CVE-2026-19672 tarfile extraction filter bypass allows creation of directories outside the destination Aug 19, 2026
Not in any source we poll
Listed rather than left blank: an empty field and an unmeasured one look identical on screen, and only one is a reason to look elsewhere.
- No fixed version, patch or mitigation documented.
- No CISA SSVC assessment.
- No confirmed IOCs, IP addresses, domains, file hashes, or malware artifacts supplied.
- No organization-specific asset inventory, compensating-control status, or patch deployment evidence supplied.
- No exploit packet captures, log samples, or incident case IDs supplied.
Answered from this record
Text assembled only from the fields above — no additional claims.
What should defenders know first?
CVE-2026-19445 is "Use-after-free of a server-side SSLContext when sni_callback switches contexts", rated Critical. It affects CPython (Python); versions are in the scope table. It is not in CISA KEV, which does not rule out exploitation. CVSS 9.2 describes technical severity. EPSS 0.43% estimates the probability of exploitation in 30 days; neither replaces your asset context. First verify whether exposed or business-critical assets run the affected versions, apply vendor fixes or mitigations, and preserve logs for review.
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