CVE-2026-45409: Internationalized Domain Names in Applications (IDNA): Specially crafted inputs to idna.encode() can bypass CVE-2024-3651 fix

Published May 19, 2026
·
Updated

Internationalized Domain Names in Applications (IDNA) for Python provides support for Internationalized Domain Names in Applications (IDNA) and Unicode IDNA Compatibility Processing. In versions prior to 3.15, payloads such as "\u0660" N or "\u30fb" N + "\u6f22" utilize the validcontexto function prior to length rejection, and for high values of N will take a long time to process. This is the same issue as CVE-2024-3651, however the original remediation in 2024 was not a complete fix. A specially crafted argument to the idna.encode() function could consume significant resources. This may lead to a denial-of-service. Starting in version 3.14, the function rejects long inputs as soon as practicable prior to any further processing to minimize resource consumption. In version 3.15, this approach was extended to lesser used alternate functions (i.e. per-label conversions and codec support). A workaround is available. Domain names cannot exceed 253 characters in length. If this length limit is enforced prior to passing the domain to the idna.encode() function, it should no longer consume significant resources. This is triggered by arbitrarily large inputs that would not occur in normal usage, but may be passed to the library assuming there is no preliminary input validation by the higher-level application.

Other sources

This is the same issue as CVE-2024-3651, however the original remediation in 2024 was not a complete fix. Payloads such as "\u0660" N or "\u30fb" N + "\u6f22" utilize the validcontexto function prior to length rejection, and for high values of N will take a long time to process.

Impact A specially crafted argument to the idna.encode() function could consume significant resources. This may lead to a denial-of-service.

Patches Starting in version 3.14, the function rejects long inputs as soon as practicable prior to any further processing to minimize resource consumption. In version 3.15, this approach was extended to lesser used alternate functions (i.e. per-label conversions and codec support).

Workarounds Domain names cannot exceed 253 characters in length, if this length limit is enforced prior to passing the domain to the idna.encode() function it should no longer consume significant resources. This is triggered by arbitrarily large inputs that would not occur in normal usage, but may be passed to the library assuming there is no preliminary input validation by the higher-level application.

GitHub

Affected Software

5 affected componentsFixes available
pip/idna<3.15
3.15
kjd Internationalized Domain Names In Applications Python<3.15
debian/python-idna<=2.10-1+deb11u1, <=3.3-1+deb12u1
3.10-1+deb13u13.18-1
IBM Db2 Genius Hub<=1.1, 1.1.1, 1.1.2
IBM Agentics<=1.0

Remediation

Recommended actions to resolve this vulnerability, in priority order.

  1. Upgrade

    Upgrade pip/idna to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 3.15
  2. Upgrade

    Upgrade debian/python-idna to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 3.10-1+deb13u1Fixed in 3.18-1
  3. Upgrade

    Upgrade Internationalized Domain Names in Applications (IDNA) for Python to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 3.14
  4. Upgrade

    Upgrade Internationalized Domain Names in Applications (IDNA) for Python to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 3.15
  5. Configuration

    Enforce a maximum domain name length of 253 characters before passing the domain to the `idna.encode()` function to prevent significant resource consumption (workaround described in the material).

    Internationalized Domain Names in Applications (IDNA) for Python domain_length_validation = enforce_max_253_characters_before_calling_idna_encode
  6. Compensating control

    If the application passes untrusted or arbitrarily large domain inputs to the IDNA library, add/ensure input validation so that domain names are rejected before calling `idna.encode()` when they exceed 253 characters.

Event History

May 19, 2026
Advisory Published
via GitHub·02:34 PM
Data Sourced
via GitHub·02:34 PM
DescriptionWeaknessAffected Software
Jun 5, 2026
CVE Published
via MITRE·10:06 PM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·10:06 PM
DescriptionWeakness
Data Sourced
via NVD·11:16 PM
DescriptionSeverityWeaknessAffected Software
Jul 13, 2026
Data Sourced
via IBM·12:00 AM
DescriptionAffected Software
Jul 15, 2026
Data Sourced
via Launchpad·04:40 PM
Description
Data Sourced
via Debian·04:41 PM
DescriptionAffected Software
Jul 16, 2026
Data Sourced
via Ubuntu·04:41 PM
RemedyDescriptionSeverityAffected Software

Parent advisories

This vulnerability appears in the following advisories.

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Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the severity of CVE-2026-45409?

CVE-2026-45409 has a risk rating of 22, indicating a significant vulnerability.

2

How do I fix CVE-2026-45409?

To fix CVE-2026-45409, ensure that the application correctly implements input validation to reject excessively long payloads.

3

What software is affected by CVE-2026-45409?

CVE-2026-45409 affects the pip/idna library.

4

What is the main issue with CVE-2026-45409?

CVE-2026-45409 involves improper input validation that allows for processing excessively long payloads.

5

How does CVE-2026-45409 relate to CVE-2024-3651?

CVE-2026-45409 is the same issue as CVE-2024-3651, where the original remediation was incomplete.

Contact

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