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Transformers's ReDoS vulnerability in get_configuration_file can lead to catastrophic backtracking

Moderate severity GitHub Reviewed Published Jul 7, 2025 to the GitHub Advisory Database • Updated Jul 8, 2025

Package

pip transformers (pip)

Affected versions

< 4.51.0

Patched versions

4.51.0

Description

A Regular Expression Denial of Service (ReDoS) vulnerability was discovered in the Hugging Face Transformers library, specifically in the get_configuration_file() function within the transformers.configuration_utils module. The affected version is 4.49.0, and the issue is resolved in version 4.51.0. The vulnerability arises from the use of a regular expression pattern config\.(.*)\.json that can be exploited to cause excessive CPU consumption through crafted input strings, leading to catastrophic backtracking. This can result in model serving disruption, resource exhaustion, and increased latency in applications using the library.

References

Published by the National Vulnerability Database Jul 7, 2025
Published to the GitHub Advisory Database Jul 7, 2025
Reviewed Jul 8, 2025
Last updated Jul 8, 2025

Severity

Moderate

CVSS overall score

This score calculates overall vulnerability severity from 0 to 10 and is based on the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS).
/ 10

CVSS v3 base metrics

Attack vector
Network
Attack complexity
Low
Privileges required
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
None
Availability
Low

CVSS v3 base metrics

Attack vector: More severe the more the remote (logically and physically) an attacker can be in order to exploit the vulnerability.
Attack complexity: More severe for the least complex attacks.
Privileges required: More severe if no privileges are required.
User interaction: More severe when no user interaction is required.
Scope: More severe when a scope change occurs, e.g. one vulnerable component impacts resources in components beyond its security scope.
Confidentiality: More severe when loss of data confidentiality is highest, measuring the level of data access available to an unauthorized user.
Integrity: More severe when loss of data integrity is the highest, measuring the consequence of data modification possible by an unauthorized user.
Availability: More severe when the loss of impacted component availability is highest.
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L

EPSS score

Exploit Prediction Scoring System (EPSS)

This score estimates the probability of this vulnerability being exploited within the next 30 days. Data provided by FIRST.
(24th percentile)

Weaknesses

Inefficient Regular Expression Complexity

The product uses a regular expression with an inefficient, possibly exponential worst-case computational complexity that consumes excessive CPU cycles. Learn more on MITRE.

CVE ID

CVE-2025-3263

GHSA ID

GHSA-q2wp-rjmx-x6x9

Source code

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