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VulnerabilityPublished Updated

CVE-2024-8088: Python Software Foundation CPython · Infinite Loop

Affects Python Software Foundation CPythonSource CVE Database V5

0

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 8.7 High.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 17:16 UTC

CVSS 4.0 base score
8.7High
How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.
EPSS
1.2% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 69% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/S:N/AU:N/R:U/RE:L

Exploitation evidence

  1. Disclosed: evidence found.

    CVE published 22 Aug 2024

  2. Detectable: no evidence on record.

    No public nuclei template indexed

  3. Weaponised: no evidence on record.

    No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB

  4. Exploited in the wild: no evidence on record.

    Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation

  5. Observed by OffSeq Mirage: no evidence on record.

    No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors

A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 26 Oct 2026.

What to do

Affected software

ProductAffectedFixed in
Python Software Foundation CPythonAffected
  • 0 – 3.13.0
6 affected builds
Fixed in–

AI-suggested

To mitigate CVE-2024-8088, European organizations should first identify all Python environments running versions 3.9.0 through 3.13.0a1 that utilize the zipfile.Path API. Until official patches are released, avoid using zipfile.Path methods such as namelist() and iterdir() on untrusted or user-supplied zip archives. Instead, use the unaffected zipfile.ZipFile class for archive processing where possible. Implement strict input validation and sandboxing for any service that accepts zip files, limiting resource consumption and execution time to prevent infinite loops from hanging processes. Employ runtime monitoring and alerting for unusually long or stuck Python processes handling zip files. Consider deploying application-layer firewalls or file scanning solutions to detect and block malicious zip archives before they reach vulnerable applications. Once patches become available from the Python Software Foundation, prioritize timely updates across all affected environments. Additionally, review and update incident response plans to include detection and mitigation steps for zip archive-based denial of service attempts. Educate developers and system administrators about this vulnerability to avoid inadvertent use of vulnerable APIs with untrusted data. Finally, maintain an inventory of third-party Python packages or tools that may internally use the vulnerable API and coordinate with vendors for updates.

Description

There is a HIGH severity vulnerability affecting the CPython "zipfile" module affecting "zipfile.Path". Note that the more common API "zipfile.ZipFile" class is unaffected. When iterating over names of entries in a zip archive (for example, methods of "zipfile.Path" like "namelist()", "iterdir()", etc) the process can be put into an infinite loop with a maliciously crafted zip archive. This defect applies when reading only metadata or extracting the contents of the zip archive. Programs that are not handling user-controlled zip archives are not affected.

References

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