CVE-2023-30608 identifies a Regular Expression Denial of Service (ReDoS) vulnerability in the sqlparse Python library, a non-validating SQL parser widely used for parsing SQL statements. The vulnerability stems from an inefficient regular expression introduced in commit e75e358, which can be triggered by specially crafted input to cause excessive backtracking and CPU resource exhaustion. This leads to Denial of Service (DoS) conditions by making the parsing process unresponsive or extremely slow. The affected versions range from 0.1.15 up to but not including 0.4.4, with the issue resolved in version 0.4.4 via commit c457abd5f. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 5.5 (medium severity), reflecting that the attack vector is local (AV:L), requires low attack complexity (AC:L), no privileges (PR:N), but does require user interaction (UI:R). The scope is unchanged (S:U), and the impact is limited to availability (A:H) without affecting confidentiality or integrity. No known exploits have been reported in the wild, but the vulnerability poses a risk to applications that rely on sqlparse for SQL parsing, especially those exposed to untrusted input. Since sqlparse is a Python library, the vulnerability affects any Python application or service that includes it and processes SQL statements, potentially including web applications, data analytics tools, and database management utilities.

For European organizations, the primary impact of CVE-2023-30608 is the potential for Denial of Service attacks against applications using vulnerable versions of sqlparse. This can lead to service outages, degraded performance, and operational disruptions, particularly in environments where SQL parsing is frequent and input is user-controlled or externally sourced. Industries relying on Python-based data processing, web services, or database management tools that incorporate sqlparse may experience availability issues, affecting business continuity and user experience. While the vulnerability does not compromise data confidentiality or integrity, the availability impact can have downstream effects on compliance with service-level agreements and regulatory requirements. Organizations with critical infrastructure or high-availability demands may face increased risk if the vulnerability is exploited. The lack of known exploits in the wild reduces immediate threat but does not eliminate the risk, especially as proof-of-concept attacks could emerge.

To mitigate CVE-2023-30608, European organizations should immediately upgrade all instances of sqlparse to version 0.4.4 or later, where the vulnerability is fixed. Conduct a thorough inventory of Python applications and services to identify usage of sqlparse and verify the version in use. For environments where upgrading is not immediately feasible, consider implementing input validation and sanitization to limit exposure to maliciously crafted SQL inputs that could trigger the ReDoS condition. Monitor application performance and logs for unusual CPU spikes or slowdowns during SQL parsing operations. Employ runtime application self-protection (RASP) or Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) where applicable to detect and block suspicious input patterns. Additionally, incorporate this vulnerability into vulnerability management and patching workflows to ensure timely updates. Educate developers and DevOps teams about the risks of ReDoS and the importance of using updated dependencies.