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CVE-2026-6879· NVD / CVE Program· CNA PSF

Quadratic Behavior in xml.etree.ElementPath Index Predicates

Noroxi assessment

Priority: Monitor (action score 8/100)

  • The sources we track (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, Metasploit, Nuclei, GitHub) show no public exploit code or exploitation in the wild.
  • Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days: 0.36% (FIRST EPSS).
  • Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it. Administrator privileges are required. Special conditions such as timing or configuration are required.
  • Fixed version: Python Software Foundation CPython 3.10.21, 3.11.16, 3.12.14; azl3 python3 3.12.9-13 on Azure Linux 3.0 3.12.9-14; azl3 python3 3.12.9-14 on Azure Linux 3.0 3.12.9-14.

Low priority for now. Upgrade to Python Software Foundation CPython 3.10.21, 3.11.16, 3.12.14; azl3 python3 3.12.9-13 on Azure Linux 3.0 3.12.9-14; azl3 python3 3.12.9-14 on Azure Linux 3.0 3.12.9-14 or later.

Generated automatically from the record's data: CVSS (NVD and CNA), CISA KEV and SSVC, FIRST EPSS, exploit sources, fixed versions. How we calculate it

Primary sources: NVD · CVE.org · FIRST EPSS

`Element.findall()` and fully-consumed `Element.iterfind()` exhibit `O(n^2)` time complexity when using XPath index predicates (e.g. `[1]`, `[last()]`, `[last()-N]`) on XML documents with many same-tag siblings. `Element.find()` is only affected when the first match is near the end  of the sibling list, such as with `[last()]` or `[last()-N]`;  `.//item[1]` short-circuits after the first match.

LowCVSS 2.0 · v4.0—No exploit Fix available
Published
Jul 28, 2026
Updated
Aug 13, 2026
EPSS
0.3% · 29th percentile

Report tools

JSON

Action score

8

Monitor

Low priority for now.

CVSS
8 / 40 · 2.0 / 10
CISA KEV
0 / 30 · Not listed
EPSS
0 / 30 · 0.3%

CISA SSVC decision

Exploitation
none
Automatable
no
Technical impact
partial

Vulnrichment: CISA's decision-tree inputs.

CNA vs NVD score

NVD
—
CNA · PSF
2.0
NVD has not scored this yet; the score shown is the CNA’s.

CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:H/AT:P/PR:H/UI:P/VC:N/VI:N/VA:L/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N

The score given by the assigning authority versus NVD’s independent score. A gap means the severity is contested.

Get told when this record changes

  • Not in KEV: no record of exploitation in the wild
  • No public exploit code on record
  • A fix has been released

If any of these changes, we'll tell you in the daily email digest.

Follow CVE-2026-6879

When you'll hear from us

  • when it enters CISA KEV
  • when exploit code appears or is weaponized
  • when the record is updated (including a fixed version)
  • when EPSS rises 20 points in a week

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Noroxi analysis

What does it mean in your environment?

The assessment above is generated automatically from the record's data; it doesn't know your environment. Our team verifies on your systems whether this vulnerability is actually exploitable and which mitigation is enough.

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Affected systems

Is your version affected?

Pick the product and type the version you run. It's compared with this record's version ranges in your browser; the version isn't sent anywhere.

—

Versions reported by the vendor

Affected version ranges reported by the assigning authority (PSF). Independent of NVD's CPE analysis and usually ahead of it.

  • Python Software Foundation CPython

    • before 3.10.21affected · python
    • 3.11.0 and later · before 3.11.16affected · python
    • 3.12.0 and later · before 3.12.14affected · python
    • 3.13.0 and later · before 3.13.15affected · python
    • 3.14.0 and later · before 3.14.7affected · python
    • 3.15.0a1 and later · before 3.15.0rc1affected · python

Package-level exposure

OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.

EcosystemPackageAffected rangeFix
Alpine:v3.24python3before 3.14.7-r03.14.7-r0
Debian:12pypy3from 0—
Debian:12python3.11from 0—
Debian:13python3.13before 3.13.5-2+deb13u53.13.5-2+deb13u5
Debian:14pypy3before 8.0.0+dfsg-18.0.0+dfsg-1
Debian:14python3.13before 3.13.15-13.13.15-1
Debian:14python3.14before 3.14.7-13.14.7-1
openSUSE:Tumbleweedpython313before 3.13.15-1.13.13.15-1.1
openSUSE:Tumbleweedpython315before 3.15.0~rc2-1.13.15.0~rc2-1.1
Red Hat:hummingbird:1python-unversioned-commandbefore 0:3.14.6-2.2.hum10:3.14.6-2.2.hum1
Red Hat:hummingbird:1python-unversioned-commandbefore 0:3.14.7-1.hum10:3.14.7-1.hum1
Red Hat:hummingbird:1python3before 0:3.14.7-1.hum10:3.14.7-1.hum1
Red Hat:hummingbird:1python3before 0:3.14.6-2.2.hum10:3.14.6-2.2.hum1
Red Hat:hummingbird:1python3-debugbefore 0:3.14.6-2.2.hum10:3.14.6-2.2.hum1
Red Hat:hummingbird:1python3-debugbefore 0:3.14.7-1.hum10:3.14.7-1.hum1
Red Hat:hummingbird:1python3-develbefore 0:3.14.7-1.hum10:3.14.7-1.hum1
Red Hat:hummingbird:1python3-develbefore 0:3.14.6-2.2.hum10:3.14.6-2.2.hum1
Red Hat:hummingbird:1python3-idlebefore 0:3.14.7-1.hum10:3.14.7-1.hum1
Red Hat:hummingbird:1python3-idlebefore 0:3.14.6-2.2.hum10:3.14.6-2.2.hum1
Red Hat:hummingbird:1python3-libsbefore 0:3.14.6-2.2.hum10:3.14.6-2.2.hum1
Red Hat:hummingbird:1python3-libsbefore 0:3.14.7-1.hum10:3.14.7-1.hum1
Red Hat:hummingbird:1python3-testbefore 0:3.14.6-2.2.hum10:3.14.6-2.2.hum1
Red Hat:hummingbird:1python3-testbefore 0:3.14.7-1.hum10:3.14.7-1.hum1
Red Hat:hummingbird:1python3-tkinterbefore 0:3.14.7-1.hum10:3.14.7-1.hum1

+67

Other highest-scoring records for the same primary product.

  • CVE-2025-4517Arbitrary writes via tarfile realpath overflow
    37Monitor
  • CVE-2026-19445Use-after-free of a server-side SSLContext when sni_callback switches contexts
    36Monitor
  • CVE-2026-6100Use-after-free in lzma.LZMADecompressor, bz2.BZ2Decompressor, and gzip.GzipFile after re-use under memory pressure
    36Monitor

Published before and after this one in the same product

  • ← EarlierCVE-2026-11940Jun 23, 2026 · tarfile extraction filter bypass allows escaping the destination directory
    31Monitor
  • ← EarlierCVE-2026-11972Jun 23, 2026 · tarfile opened in streaming mode mishandles EOF
    32Monitor
  • Later →CVE-2026-18503Aug 10, 2026 · Super-linear CPU usage for unbounded input to csv.Sniffer.sniff()
    9Monitor

Remediation

Which version to upgrade to

Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.

Product / packageFixed versionSource
Python Software Foundation CPython3.10.21Vendor (CNA)
Python Software Foundation CPython3.11.16Vendor (CNA)
Python Software Foundation CPython3.12.14Vendor (CNA)
Python Software Foundation CPython3.13.15Vendor (CNA)
Python Software Foundation CPython3.14.7Vendor (CNA)
Python Software Foundation CPython3.15.0rc1Vendor (CNA)
azl3 python3 3.12.9-13 on Azure Linux 3.03.12.9-14 · CBL-Mariner ReleasesMicrosoft (MSRC)
azl3 python3 3.12.9-14 on Azure Linux 3.03.12.9-14 · CBL-Mariner ReleasesMicrosoft (MSRC)
alpine:python33.14.7-r0 · Alpine:v3.24Package registry (OSV)
debian:pypy38.0.0+dfsg-1 · Debian:14Package registry (OSV)
debian:python3.133.13.5-2+deb13u5 · Debian:13Package registry (OSV)
debian:python3.143.14.7-1 · Debian:14Package registry (OSV)
opensuse:python3133.13.15-1.1 · openSUSE:TumbleweedPackage registry (OSV)
opensuse:python3153.15.0~rc2-1.1 · openSUSE:TumbleweedPackage registry (OSV)
red hat:python-unversioned-command0:3.14.6-2.2.hum1 · Red Hat:hummingbird:1Package registry (OSV)
red hat:python30:3.14.6-2.2.hum1 · Red Hat:hummingbird:1Package registry (OSV)
red hat:python3-debug0:3.14.6-2.2.hum1 · Red Hat:hummingbird:1Package registry (OSV)
red hat:python3-devel0:3.14.6-2.2.hum1 · Red Hat:hummingbird:1Package registry (OSV)
red hat:python3-idle0:3.14.6-2.2.hum1 · Red Hat:hummingbird:1Package registry (OSV)
red hat:python3-libs0:3.14.6-2.2.hum1 · Red Hat:hummingbird:1Package registry (OSV)
red hat:python3-test0:3.14.6-2.2.hum1 · Red Hat:hummingbird:1Package registry (OSV)
red hat:python3-tkinter0:3.14.6-2.2.hum1 · Red Hat:hummingbird:1Package registry (OSV)
red hat:python3.100:3.10.20-3.2.hum1 · Red Hat:hummingbird:1Package registry (OSV)
red hat:python3.110:3.11.15-5.5.hum1 · Red Hat:hummingbird:1Package registry (OSV)
red hat:python3.120:3.12.13-3.8.hum1 · Red Hat:hummingbird:1Package registry (OSV)
red hat:python3.130:3.13.14-1.7.hum1 · Red Hat:hummingbird:1Package registry (OSV)
red hat:python3.140:3.14.6-2.2.hum1 · Red Hat:hummingbird:1Package registry (OSV)
red hat:python3.14-freethreading0:3.14.6-2.2.hum1 · Red Hat:hummingbird:1Package registry (OSV)
red hat:python3.14-freethreading-debug0:3.14.6-2.2.hum1 · Red Hat:hummingbird:1Package registry (OSV)
red hat:python3.14-freethreading-devel0:3.14.6-2.2.hum1 · Red Hat:hummingbird:1Package registry (OSV)

+9

Exploit status

No known public exploit

No public exploit has been observed yet. That doesn't mean you're safe, only that the bar is a little higher.

Research context

For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.

Timeline

From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.

No dated events beyond publication.

EPSS, last 120 days

FIRST EPSS daily score; only changes of 0.01 or more are recorded (step chart).

Patch and commit links

Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.

Finders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.

Variant candidates

Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.

  • CVE-2026-327655 days apartPotential DoS via quadratic complexity in unicodedata.normalize()
    25Monitor

Chain candidates

An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.

—

Bug bounty scope

No known public program.

Source: bounty-targets-data (public HackerOne, Bugcrowd, Intigriti, YesWeHack listings).

Technical details

Attack conditions

  • Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it.
  • Administrator privileges are required.
  • Special conditions such as timing or configuration are required.

If successful

Confidentiality
Integrity
Availability
Attack vector
Network
Attack complexity
High
Privileges required
High
User interaction
P
Scope
X

CVSS vector

CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:H/AT:P/PR:H/UI:P/VC:N/VI:N/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

nvd-secondary

Attack context

MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.

MITRE has no CAPEC/ATT&CK mapping for this CWE.

Change log

  1. Fix✗ → ✓

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References

All records