Requests-2.32.5 Vulnerability Report

Hey guys! Let's dive into a critical security report concerning the requests-2.32.5-py3-none-any.whl library. This is super important because it directly impacts your Python projects. We're looking at two high-severity vulnerabilities with a CVSS score of 8.6, which means they're pretty serious and need your attention. This report details the issues, the potential impact, and, most importantly, how to fix them. Let's get started, shall we?

Vulnerability Overview

So, the main issue is with the requests-2.32.5-py3-none-any.whl library and, specifically, its dependency on urllib3-2.5.0-py3-none-any.whl. You'll find these vulnerabilities within that dependency. The vulnerabilities are identified as CVE-2025-66471 and CVE-2025-66418. They both have a high severity rating with a CVSS score of 8.6, meaning they can be exploited over a network, and have a significant impact on availability, potentially leading to denial-of-service scenarios. It's crucial to understand these details to address the risks effectively.

Vulnerability	Severity	CVSS	Dependency	Type	Fixed in (requests version)	Remediation Possible
CVE-2025-66471	High	8.6	urllib3-2.5.0-py3-none-any.whl	Transitive	N/A*	❌
CVE-2025-66418	High	8.6	urllib3-2.5.0-py3-none-any.whl	Transitive	N/A*	❌

*For some transitive vulnerabilities, there is no version of direct dependency with a fix. Check the "Details" section below to see if there is a version of transitive dependency where vulnerability is fixed.

**In some cases, Remediation PR cannot be created automatically for a vulnerability despite the availability of remediation.

Deep Dive into the Vulnerabilities

Let's get into the nitty-gritty of each vulnerability. It’s important to understand the details so you can truly appreciate the risk and the need to patch this stuff.

CVE-2025-66471

This vulnerability affects the urllib3-2.5.0-py3-none-any.whl library, which is a dependency of requests. The vulnerability involves the Streaming API within urllib3. This API is designed for handling large HTTP responses efficiently by reading the content in chunks. However, when streaming a compressed response, the decompression logic can become a bottleneck. Specifically, the library can be tricked into fully decoding a small amount of highly compressed data in a single operation. This leads to excessive resource consumption, causing high CPU usage and massive memory allocation for the decompressed data. Imagine a situation where your server suddenly starts using all its resources just trying to handle a compressed response. That’s a denial-of-service scenario right there! The issue has been published on December 5, 2025.

CVE-2025-66418

This one also hits urllib3-2.5.0-py3-none-any.whl. It centers on the number of links in the decompression chain. A malicious server can exploit this by inserting a virtually unlimited number of compression steps. The result? You guessed it – high CPU usage and massive memory allocation. This is another avenue for a denial-of-service attack. The vulnerability is triggered because the system is designed to handle an unbounded number of compression steps. So, when a bad actor provides a carefully crafted response, the system gets stuck trying to decompress it, hogging up resources in the process. This vulnerability was also published on December 5, 2025.

Impact and Risks

So, what's the actual risk here? Well, both vulnerabilities have a high impact on availability. Think about it: if an attacker can cause your server to use up all its resources, it can't serve legitimate requests anymore. This means your application becomes unavailable, which can have significant consequences depending on what your application does. Further, with a CVSS score of 8.6, the vulnerabilities are considered critical. Even if your application isn't directly exposed to the internet, if it processes data from untrusted sources, you could still be at risk.

How to Fix It

Thankfully, the fix is straightforward: upgrade your urllib3 dependency. The vulnerabilities are addressed in version 2.6.0. Since urllib3 is a dependency of requests, you might need to update requests as well. In your requirements.txt file (or wherever you manage your dependencies), make sure you are using a version of urllib3 that is 2.6.0 or later. For those of you using a package manager like pip, you can typically do this using the following command:

pip install --upgrade urllib3

Or, if you want to be extra cautious and upgrade requests as well:

pip install --upgrade requests urllib3

Always test these changes in a non-production environment first to make sure everything works as expected. Test, test, and retest, guys!

Mitigation Steps

Here’s a quick checklist to help you mitigate these vulnerabilities:

1. Identify: Locate all projects using requests-2.32.5. Use the dependency paths provided in the report to pinpoint the exact location of the vulnerable libraries. It’s always good to make sure you know exactly where the problems lie.
2. Update Dependencies: Update your urllib3 to version 2.6.0 or later. Consider updating requests as well to ensure compatibility and that you get the latest security patches.
3. Test Thoroughly: After upgrading, test your applications in a development or staging environment before deploying to production. Make sure everything still functions as expected. Don't push to production until you're completely confident in the fixes.
4. Monitor Regularly: Set up a system to regularly check for security vulnerabilities in your dependencies. Tools like WhiteSource (mentioned in the report) or other SAST (Static Application Security Testing) and SCA (Software Composition Analysis) tools can help automate this process.

Conclusion

These vulnerabilities in urllib3 (affecting requests) are serious, but they are also readily fixable. By upgrading to the latest versions, you can significantly reduce the risk to your applications. Remember, staying proactive with security is essential in today's digital landscape. Make sure you take these steps to ensure that your projects are secure and resilient against potential attacks. Stay safe out there, and happy coding, everyone!