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VulnerabilityPublished Updated

CVE-2026-6100: Python Software Foundation CPython · Use After Free

Affects Python Software Foundation CPythonSource CVE Database V5

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Not known to be exploited · CVSS 9.1 Critical · fixed in 3.15.0b1 : patch Python Software Foundation CPython as a priority.

Data as of 30 Oct 2026, 06:59 UTC

CVSS 4.0 base score
9.1Critical
How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.

Contested

Critical score, yet low EPSS after six months
EPSS
0.5% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 47% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
Patch
Available – fixed in 3.15.0b1, 3.14.5rc1, 3.13.14 +3
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:H/AT:P/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N

Exploitation evidence

  1. Disclosed: evidence found.

    CVE published 13 Apr 2026

  2. Detectable: no evidence on record.

    No public nuclei template indexed

  3. Weaponized: 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 29 Oct 2026.

What to do

Upgrade to a fixed release listed under Affected software.

Affected software

ProductAffectedFixed in
Python Software FoundationCPythonAffected
  • >=3.15.0a1 <3.15.0b1
Fixed in
  • 3.15.0b1
Python Software FoundationCPythonAffected
  • >=3.14.0a1 <3.14.5rc1
Fixed in
  • 3.14.5rc1
Python Software FoundationCPythonAffected
  • >=3.13.0 <3.13.14
Fixed in
  • 3.13.14
Python Software FoundationCPythonAffected
  • >=3.12.0 <3.12.14
Fixed in
  • 3.12.14
Python Software FoundationCPythonAffected
  • >=3.11.0 <3.11.16
Fixed in
  • 3.11.16
Python Software FoundationCPythonAffected
  • <3.10.21
Fixed in
  • 3.10.21

Check your own hosts for these packages with threat-finder (opens in a new tab), our free open-source scanner.

AI-suggested

Red Hat has released updated RHEL-8 based Middleware Containers container images containing backported patches that fix this vulnerability. Users are advised to upgrade to these updated images and rebuild dependent container images. No other mitigations meeting Red Hat's criteria for ease of use, applicability, and stability are currently available. Avoid re-using decompressor instances after a MemoryError as a best practice until patches are applied.

Description

Use-after-free (UAF) was possible in the `lzma.LZMADecompressor`, `bz2.BZ2Decompressor`, and `gzip.GzipFile` when a memory allocation fails with a `MemoryError` and the decompression instance is re-used. This scenario can be triggered if the process is under memory pressure. The fix cleans up the dangling pointer in this specific error condition. The vulnerability is only present if the program re-uses decompressor instances across multiple decompression calls even after a `MemoryError` is raised during decompression. Using the helper functions to one-shot decompress data such as `lzma.decompress()`, `bz2.decompress()`, `gzip.decompress()`, and `zlib.decompress()` are not affected as a new decompressor instance is used per call. If the decompressor instance is not re-used after an error condition, this usage is similarly not vulnerable.

References

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