CVE-2024-39614 is a denial-of-service (DoS) vulnerability identified in the Django web framework, specifically in versions prior to 5.0.7 and 4.2.14. The issue arises from the get_supported_language_variant() function, which is responsible for determining the closest supported language variant for a given language code. When this function processes very long strings containing certain crafted characters, it can lead to excessive resource consumption, such as CPU cycles or memory, effectively causing a denial-of-service condition. The underlying weakness relates to improper handling of input length and character content, linked to CWE-130 (Improper Handling of Length Parameter Inconsistency). This vulnerability can be triggered remotely without authentication or user interaction, as it involves processing input strings that may come from HTTP headers or other user-controllable sources. The CVSS v3.1 score of 7.5 reflects a high severity due to network attack vector, low attack complexity, no privileges required, and no user interaction needed, with impact limited to availability (no confidentiality or integrity impact). Although no exploits are currently known in the wild, the vulnerability poses a risk to web applications relying on affected Django versions, potentially leading to service outages or degraded performance. The patch for this vulnerability is included in Django releases 5.0.7 and 4.2.14, and upgrading is the recommended remediation.

For European organizations, this vulnerability primarily threatens the availability of web applications built on affected Django versions. Organizations operating critical online services, e-commerce platforms, or public-facing portals using these Django versions may experience service disruptions or outages if attackers exploit this DoS vulnerability. The impact is particularly significant for sectors relying on continuous availability, such as finance, healthcare, government, and telecommunications. Since the vulnerability does not affect confidentiality or integrity, data breaches are unlikely; however, denial-of-service conditions can lead to reputational damage, loss of customer trust, and potential financial losses due to downtime. The ease of exploitation without authentication increases the risk, especially for organizations with high traffic volumes or those exposed directly to the internet. Additionally, the lack of known exploits in the wild currently provides a window for proactive mitigation before widespread attacks occur.

European organizations should immediately assess their Django deployments to identify versions prior to 5.0.7 and 4.2.14. The primary mitigation is to upgrade affected Django instances to the patched versions 5.0.7 or 4.2.14 or later. Where immediate upgrading is not feasible, organizations should implement input validation and length checks on language-related inputs to limit excessively long strings and filter out suspicious characters that could trigger the vulnerability. Deploying web application firewalls (WAFs) with custom rules to detect and block anomalous requests targeting language headers or parameters can provide temporary protection. Monitoring application logs for unusual spikes in resource usage or malformed language inputs can help detect attempted exploitation. Additionally, organizations should review their incident response plans to prepare for potential DoS events and ensure capacity planning accounts for sudden load increases. Regularly updating dependencies and maintaining a robust patch management process will reduce exposure to similar vulnerabilities.