CVE-2026-42561 — Python-Multipart: Denial of Service via unbounded multipart part headers
Python-Multipart is a streaming multipart parser for Python. Prior to 0.0.27, python-multipart has a denial of service vulnerability in multipart part header parsing. When parsing multipart/form-data, MultipartParser previously had no limit on the number of part headers or the size of an individual part header. An attacker could send a request with either many repeated headers without terminating the header block or a single very large header value, causing excessive CPU work before request rejection or completion. This vulnerability is fixed in 0.0.27.
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 0.8% (30-day exploitation probability)+9
- Technical severity (high)+6
- Automatable exploitation (SSVC)+3
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.
CISA SSVC assessment CISA
Three decision points CISA publishes for the CVEs it assesses (SSVC 2.0.3). A stakeholder decision, not a severity score.
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 (Kludex Python-multipart).
- 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 (denial of service), errors and authentication anomalies.
Affected scope
Vendor, product and versions as the sources word them.
| Vendor | Product | Versions | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kludex | Python-multipart | version < 0.0.27 | Vulnerable | CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7.5 | CVSS 3.1 | High | 3.9 | 3.6 | security-advisories@github.com via NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| 7.5 | CVSS 3.1 | High | 3.9 | 3.6 | 0b0ca135-0b70-47e7-9f44-1890c2a1c46c via NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| 7.5 | CVSS 3.1 | High | — | — | GitHub_M via CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H (score shown at the top: security-advisories@github.com) Weakness MITRE
Weakness class according to MITRE’s CWE catalog.
CWE-770 · Allocation of Resources Without Limits or Throttling
EPSS over time FIRST
Oct 13, 2026 → Oct 14, 2026 · 2 reading(s) · max 0.85%
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).
- Track CPU/memory spikes and availability drops correlated with request patterns.
Timeline
What happened to this CVE, newest first.
- 2026
- Affected products added · kludex/python-multipart
- SSVC assessment updated
- Record published
- CVSS changed · 7.5
- Source status changed · → Deferred
- Record created in this database
- CVE published
Source activity
Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.
- 1× Official description updated · Oct 13, 2026 – Oct 13, 2026
References
12 on the record
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:37275
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:51357
- bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:44696
- access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-42561
- security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2026/cve-2026-42561.json
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:42132
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:42142
- github.com/Kludex/python-multipart/security/advisories/GHSA-pp6c-gr5w-3c5g
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:51219
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:43038
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:51194
Elsewhere on this site
Related CVEs (same products)
- High CVE-2026-53539 Python-Multipart: Quadratic-time querystring parsing with semicolon separators causes CPU denial of service Jun 22, 2026
- Medium CVE-2026-53537 Python-Multipart: Content-Disposition parameter smuggling via RFC 2231/5987 extended parameters Jun 22, 2026
- Low CVE-2026-53538 Python-Multipart: Semicolon treated as querystring field separator enables parameter smuggling Jun 22, 2026
- Low CVE-2026-53540 Python-Multipart: Negative Content-Length in parse_form buffers the entire body in memory Jun 22, 2026
- Medium CVE-2026-40347 Python-Multipart affected by Denial of Service via large multipart preamble or epilogue data Apr 17, 2026
- High CVE-2026-24486 Python-Multipart has Arbitrary File Write via Non-Default Configuration Jan 26, 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 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-2026-42561 is "Python-Multipart: Denial of Service via unbounded multipart part headers", rated High. It affects Python-multipart (Kludex); versions are in the scope table. It is not in CISA KEV, which does not rule out exploitation. CVSS 7.5 describes technical severity. EPSS 0.85% 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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