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Chatterbot CVE-2026-23842

HIGH
Uncontrolled Resource Consumption (CWE-400)
2026-01-19 security-advisories@github.com GHSA-v4w8-49pv-mf72
7.5
CVSS 3.1 · GitHub Advisory
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Attack ChainAIDerived

Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain

  1. Access
    Send multiple concurrent get_response() requests
  2. Exploit
    Exhaust SQLAlchemy connection pool
  3. Execution
    Service becomes unavailable
  4. Impact
    Manual restart required

Vulnerability Assessment

Weakness
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A06:2025 - Insecure Design
ASVS 5.0
V2 - Validation and Business Logic Resource consumption limits
MITRE ATT&CK

1 technique across 1 tactic: Impact

The technique list with ATT&CK links and the kill-chain view is part of the Basic plan and up.

Exploitation Conditions

ChatterBot versions up to 1.2.10 with default connection pool configuration. Remote attacker can trigger concurrent invocations of get_response() method without authentication or user interaction required.

Impact

CVSS 7.5 (HIGH). Attack vector: Network. Complexity: Low. Privileges required: None. User interaction: None. Public exploit/POC available.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

An attacker could exploit this flaw, persistent service unavailability and requiring a manual res.

This Week Schedule remediation this week. Why: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9).
Patch available 0.0% exploitation probability (EPSS)

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AnalysisAIv1 – Mar 12, 2026

ChatterBot versions through 1.2.10 suffer from denial-of-service vulnerabilities due to improper connection pool management that allows attackers to exhaust database connections through concurrent requests to the get_response() method, causing persistent service unavailability. Public exploit code exists for this vulnerability, which affects all deployments of the affected ChatterBot versions and requires manual service restart to recover. ChatterBot 1.2.11 addresses this issue.

Earlier versions of this analysis (1)
v1 Mar 12, 2026 - 21:54 CVSS 7.5

ChatterBot is a machine learning, conversational dialog engine for creating chat bots. ChatterBot versions up to 1.2.10 are vulnerable to a denial-of-service condition caused by improper database session and connection pool management. [CVSS 7.5 HIGH]

RemediationAI

A vendor patch is available — apply it immediately. Restrict network access to the affected service where possible.

Affected Packages

pypi chatterbot fix: 1.2.11

Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)

Affects your stack

Affects 1 package in pypi

Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.

Technical ContextAI · show details

Classified as CWE-400 (Uncontrolled Resource Consumption). Affects the persistent component of Chatterbot. ChatterBot is a machine learning, conversational dialog engine for creating chat bots. ChatterBot versions up to 1.2.10 are vulnerable to a denial-of-service condition caused by improper database session and connection pool management. Concurrent invocations of the get_response() method can exhaust the underlying SQLAlchemy connection pool, resulting in persistent service unavailability and requiring a manual restart to recover. Version 1.2.11 fixes the issue.

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  • Exploit and PoC references, threat intelligence from 22 sources

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Severity by source

GitHub Advisory PRIMARY 7.5 HIGH
AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

Primary rating from GitHub Advisory · only source for this CVE.

CVSS VectorGitHub Advisory

Attack Vector
Network
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
None
User Interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
None
Availability
High

Lifecycle Timeline

3
PoC Detected
Feb 05, 2026 - 18:03 vuln.today
Public exploit code
Patch released
Feb 05, 2026 - 18:03 nvd
Patch available
CVE Published
Jan 19, 2026 - 19:16 nvd
HIGH 7.5

DescriptionGitHub Advisory

ChatterBot is a machine learning, conversational dialog engine for creating chat bots. ChatterBot versions up to 1.2.10 are vulnerable to a denial-of-service condition caused by improper database session and connection pool management. Concurrent invocations of the get_response() method can exhaust the underlying SQLAlchemy connection pool, resulting in persistent service unavailability and requiring a manual restart to recover. Version 1.2.11 fixes the issue.

Executive ViewAI

Why It Matters

Organizations using ChatterBot face notable risk from CVE-2026-23842, a resource exhaustion vulnerability rated CVSS 7.5. Exploitation could cause service disruption or denial of service, impacting availability for legitimate users. Proof-of-concept code is publicly available, increasing the risk of exploitation. A patch is available and should be applied as part of regular vulnerability management.

Business Impact: High
Compensating Controls

Apply vendor patch. If immediate patching is not feasible: (1) Implement network-level access controls to limit exposure; (2) Enable enhanced monitoring and alerting; (3) Apply principle of least privilege.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.0%
Top 91% exploitable
Exploit
POC
Public exploit code exists
Data Quality
4 sources
Confidence: Medium

How this decision was reached

The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.

SignalValue
Severity HIGH
CISA KEV No
Public POC Yes
EPSS 0.0%
Patch available Yes
Active threat No
Deciding rule
HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9)
What every action level means
Emergency Immediate action required. Criteria: CRITICAL + in CISA KEV (actively exploited) without patch, OR CRITICAL + EPSS > 30% without patch, OR CRITICAL + active threat signals without patch.
Act Now Prioritize within 24-48h. Criteria: in KEV with patch available, OR CRITICAL + public POC, OR HIGH + EPSS > 10%, OR CRITICAL + active threat, OR any CRITICAL severity.
This Week Schedule remediation this week. Criteria: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9). Patch within normal change window.
This Month Plan within 30 days. Criteria: MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9), lower exploitation probability. Include in regular patch cycle.
Monitor Track and reassess. Criteria: LOW severity (CVSS 0.1-3.9), minimal exploitation risk. No immediate action needed.

SSVC AssessmentENISA

SSVC Decision· derived
Out-of-Cycle
Exploitation· derived
Poc
System Exposure· derived
Open
Automatable· derived
Yes
Human Impact
High

Priority Score

58
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: 0
CVSS: +38
PoC: +20
Weaponized: 0
Threat intel: 0
Gov advisory: 0

Attack Technique

Denial of Service attacks render applications or systems unavailable by overwhelming resources or triggering failure conditions.

Affected Products (CPE)GitHub Advisory

cpe:2.3:a:chatterbot:chatterbot:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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