CVE-2024-4340
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability in sqlparse allows attackers to cause a Denial of Service (DoS) by passing heavily nested SQL statements to the sqlparse.parse() function, triggering a RecursionError that crashes the application. It affects any application using vulnerable versions of the sqlparse Python library to parse SQL queries.
💻 Affected Systems
- sqlparse Python library
⚠️ Manual Verification Required
This CVE does not have specific version information in our database, so automatic vulnerability detection cannot determine if your system is affected.
Why? The CVE database entry doesn't specify which versions are vulnerable (no version ranges provided by the vendor/NVD).
🔒 Custom verification scripts are available for registered users. Sign up free to download automated test scripts.
- Review the CVE details at NVD
- Check vendor security advisories for your specific version
- Test if the vulnerability is exploitable in your environment
- Consider updating to the latest version as a precaution
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete service unavailability for applications using sqlparse, requiring manual restart and potentially causing extended downtime.
Likely Case
Application crashes when processing malicious SQL input, leading to temporary DoS until the service is restarted.
If Mitigated
Limited impact with proper input validation and rate limiting in place, though the vulnerable library remains a risk.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires only the ability to submit SQL input to the vulnerable function. Proof-of-concept code is publicly available in advisory references.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 0.5.0 and later
Vendor Advisory: https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-2m57-hf25-phgg
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Update sqlparse using pip: 'pip install --upgrade sqlparse>=0.5.0'. 2. Restart any applications using sqlparse. 3. Verify the update with 'pip show sqlparse'.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Input validation and sanitization
allImplement input validation to reject heavily nested SQL statements before they reach sqlparse.parse()
Rate limiting
allImplement rate limiting on endpoints that accept SQL input to reduce DoS impact
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict input validation to reject SQL statements with excessive nesting depth
- Deploy web application firewalls (WAF) with rules to detect and block recursive SQL patterns
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check sqlparse version with 'pip show sqlparse' or 'python -c "import sqlparse; print(sqlparse.__version__)"'. Versions below 0.5.0 are vulnerable.Check Version:
python -c "import sqlparse; print('sqlparse version:', sqlparse.__version__)"Verify Fix Applied:
After updating, verify version is 0.5.0 or higher using the same commands. Test with known malicious nested SQL to ensure no RecursionError occurs.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Python RecursionError exceptions in application logs
- Application crashes or restarts following SQL processing
- Unusually large or nested SQL queries in logs
Network Indicators:
- Multiple rapid requests containing SQL payloads to vulnerable endpoints
- Traffic patterns suggesting DoS attempts
SIEM Query:
source="application.log" AND "RecursionError" AND "sqlparse" OR source="application.log" AND "maximum recursion depth exceeded"🔗 References
- https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-2m57-hf25-phgg
- https://github.com/andialbrecht/sqlparse/commit/b4a39d9850969b4e1d6940d32094ee0b42a2cf03
- https://research.jfrog.com/vulnerabilities/sqlparse-stack-exhaustion-dos-jfsa-2024-001031292/
- https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-2m57-hf25-phgg
- https://github.com/andialbrecht/sqlparse/commit/b4a39d9850969b4e1d6940d32094ee0b42a2cf03
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2024/12/msg00022.html
- https://research.jfrog.com/vulnerabilities/sqlparse-stack-exhaustion-dos-jfsa-2024-001031292/
