Denial of service vulnerability when parsing multipart request body
Summary
The request body parsing in starlite allows a potentially unauthenticated
attacker to consume a large amount of CPU time and RAM.
Details
The multipart body parser processes an unlimited number of file parts. The multipart body parser processes an unlimited number of field parts.
Impact
This is a remote, potentially unauthenticated Denial of Service vulnerability.
This vulnerability affects applications with a request handler that accepts
a Body(media_type=RequestEncodingType.MULTI_PART).
The large amount of CPU time required for processing requests can block all available worker processes and significantly delay or slow down the processing of legitimate user requests. The large amount of RAM accumulated while processing requests can lead to Out-Of-Memory kills. Complete DoS is achievable by sending many concurrent multipart requests in a loop.
Affected software
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| Platform | Package | Vulnerable versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Python (PyPI) | starlite | < 1.51.2 | 1.51.2 |
References
- https://github.com/starlite-api/starlite/releases/tag/v1.51.2
- https://github.com/starlite-api/starlite/security/advisories/GHSA-p24m-863f-fm6q
- https://github.com/starlite-api/starlite/commit/9674fe803628f986c03fe60769048cbc55b5bf83
- https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-25578
- https://github.com/pypa/advisory-database/tree/main/vulns/starlite/PYSEC-2023-49.yaml
- https://github.com/starlite-api/starlite
- CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H- Weakness (CWE)
CWE-400, CWE-770- Platform
- Python (PyPI)
- Package
starlite- Disclosed
- 15.02.2023
- Updated
- 11.10.2026 12:19
Sources and licenses
OSV / GitHub Advisory Database - PYSEC-2023-49 - PyPA Advisory Database; CC BY 4.0
OSV / GitHub Advisory Database - GHSA-p24m-863f-fm6q - CC BY 4.0
Vulnerability history: starlite
All published vulnerabilities of this package (Python (PyPI)), newest first. Shows whether this is a one-off slip or a package that needs watching.
- Total entries
- 3
- First → latest
- 02.2023 11.2024
- Without a fix
- 1
- Exploited in attacks
- 0
Severity breakdown
- High 3
Disclosures per year
- 2023: 1
- 2024: 2
- 2025: 0
- 2026: 0
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Denial of service vulnerability when parsing multipart request body this entry
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