Summary
python-zeroconf: Unbounded TC-deferred queue allows LAN-local memory exhaustion via spoofed-source flood
Workarounds
There is no in-process workaround; upgrading is the fix. Otherwise, restrict mDNS (UDP/5353) to trusted Layer-2 segments via AP client isolation, guest-network separation, or host firewall rules.
Resources
- PR #1751, fix
- RFC 6762 §18.5, CWE-400
Impact
AsyncListener.handle_query_or_defer retained every truncated (TC-bit) incoming query in self._deferred[addr] and armed a per-addr timer in self._timers[addr] that flushed the reassembled query within ~500 ms (RFC 6762 §18.5). Neither the per-addr list nor the number of distinct addr keys was capped, and the dedup check (for incoming in reversed(deferred): if incoming.data == msg.data) ran O(N) over the per-addr list on every arrival.
Any unauthenticated host on the local link (UDP/5353, 224.0.0.251 / ff02::fb) can stream byte-distinct TC-flagged mDNS queries, each up to _MAX_MSG_ABSOLUTE = 8966 bytes, with DNSIncoming retaining the raw data buffer plus parsed-record state. Trivially spoofed source IPs multiply the effect across _deferred / _timers, and the O(N) data compare burns CPU quadratically as each per-addr queue grows. On memory-constrained deployments (Home Assistant on Raspberry-Pi-class hardware is the canonical victim) sustained traffic OOM-kills the process; under lighter load, the per-arrival scan and event-loop scheduler starvation break unrelated zeroconf consumers (discovery, registration, ServiceBrowser callbacks).
Crafted input forces the application to consume excessive CPU, memory, or other resources, degrading or denying service. Typical impact: denial of service.
CVE-2026-48045 has a CVSS score of 6.5 (Medium). The vector is reachable from an adjacent network, no privileges required, and no user interaction. A CVSS score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether this affects your application depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable in your environment. A fixed version is available (0.149.12); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.
Affected versions
Security releases
Kodem intelligence
Severity tells you how bad this could be in the worst case. It does not tell you whether you are exposed. Exploitability and impact are functions of runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A vulnerable package can sit in your dependency tree and never run.
Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter. Kodem's runtime-powered SCA identifies whether this CVE is reachable in your applications.
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Fixed in zeroconf 0.149.12 (PR #1751). Upgrade to >= 0.149.12.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2026-48045? CVE-2026-48045 is a medium-severity uncontrolled resource consumption vulnerability in zeroconf (pip), affecting versions < 0.149.12. It is fixed in 0.149.12. Crafted input forces the application to consume excessive CPU, memory, or other resources, degrading or denying service.
- How severe is CVE-2026-48045? CVE-2026-48045 has a CVSS score of 6.5 (Medium). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.
- Which versions of zeroconf are affected by CVE-2026-48045? zeroconf (pip) versions < 0.149.12 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2026-48045? Yes. CVE-2026-48045 is fixed in 0.149.12. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2026-48045 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2026-48045 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
- What actually determines whether CVE-2026-48045 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.
- How do I fix CVE-2026-48045? Upgrade
zeroconfto 0.149.12 or later.