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Fencer Vulns
medium 5.3

CVE-2023-38898 json

An issue in Python cpython v.3.7 allows an attacker to obtain sensitive information via the _asyncio._swap_current_task component.

published 2023-08-15 3 y ago modified 2026-06-17 4 mo ago also BIT-python-2023-38898 , EUVD-2023-42659

cvss
5.3
version 3.1, NVD
cisa kev
Not listed
not in CISA's catalog
epss
1.7%
EPSS 1.7% chance of exploitation in 30 days, percentile 77%
public exploits
0
none known

Summary

An issue in Python cpython v.3.7 allows an attacker to obtain sensitive information via the _asyncio._swap_current_task component. NOTE: this is disputed by the vendor because (1) neither 3.7 nor any other release is affected (it is a bug in some 3.12 pre-releases); (2) there are no common scenarios in which an adversary can call _asyncio._swap_current_task but does not already have the ability to call arbitrary functions; and (3) there are no common scenarios in which sensitive information, which is not already accessible to an adversary, becomes accessible through this bug.

Patch / fix

  • python python 3.12.0b4, 3.13.0a1
  • python_software_foundation cpython 3.12.0b4, 3.13.0a1
  • python_software_foundation python 3.12.0b4, 3.13.0a1

Vendor advisories

What the vendors themselves say about their products: affected, fixed or not affected, and what to do.

red hat product security vex CVE-2023-38898 updated cvss 5.3

python: sensitive information can be obtained via the _asyncio._swap_current_task component.

  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 python, tkinter, python-libs, python-test, python-tools Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 python, python3, tkinter, python-libs, python-test, python-tools, +4 more Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 numpy, scipy, PyYAML, python2, python3, mod_wsgi, +88 more Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 python3, python3.9, python3.11, python3-idle, python3-libs, python3-test, +6 more Red Hat Software Collections rh-python38-python, rh-python38-python-idle, rh-python38-python-libs, rh-python38-python-test, rh-python38-python-tkinter, rh-python38-python-rpm-macros, +1 more
    not affected: vulnerable code not present

Red Hat CSAF VEX © Red Hat, Inc., from https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/; changed: reduced to product statuses and remediations. CC BY 4.0 · csaf

CISA SSVC

Exploitation
Proof of concept is public
Automatable
yes
Technical impact
partial
Assessed
2 y ago

Exploit prediction

1.74% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 77% of all scored CVEs (FIRST EPSS, 2026-11-08).

Exploits and checks

  • github.com https://github.com/python/cpython/issues/105987 referenced PoC, tagged "exploit" by a source, unverified

CVSS scores

assigned by version score vector
NVD 3.1 5.3 CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N
OSV 3.1 5.3 CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N

Affected packages

ecosystem package affected fixed in
bitnami python
>=3.13.0-alpha0, <=3.13.0-alpha0
 no fix listed

References

Sources

Fencer Vulns keeps one entry per vulnerability: the CVE id wins, then GHSA, and records that alias each other are merged, except that two CVEs always keep separate entries. The same data is available as JSON.

CPEs and fixed versions use Anchore's correction of NVD's data: Improve version ranges to indicate fix.