CVE-2026-116871: Semantic MediaWiki 3.0.0 before 7.3.1 Uncontrolled Recursion via Special:Ask

Q: Who can exploit this issue?

An unauthenticated remote attacker can exploit it by submitting deeply nested query elements to the action=ask API. No privileges or user interaction are required.

Q: What is the operational impact of exploitation?

Processing the nested query tokens can consume substantial CPU and memory and tie up request workers. This can cause a denial of service, while the provided data indicates no confidentiality or integrity impact.

Q: Which deployments are affected?

Semantic MediaWiki versions from 3.0.0 before 7.3.1 are affected. Deployments that expose the action=ask API are the relevant attack surface.

Published Oct 27, 2026

Updated

Semantic MediaWiki 3.0.0 before 7.3.1 contains an uncontrolled recursion vulnerability in LegacyParser::getSubqueryDescription() that processes nested query tokens before depth limits apply. Unauthenticated attackers can submit deeply nested query elements to the action=ask API to consume substantial CPU and memory, tying up request workers.

Affected Software

1 affected component

Semantic MediaWiki Semantic MediaWiki>=3.0.0<7.3.1

Event History

Oct 27, 2026

CVE Published

via MITRE·10:23 AM

Data Sourced

via MITRE·10:23 AM

DescriptionSeverityWeakness

Frequently Asked Questions

Who can exploit this issue?

An unauthenticated remote attacker can exploit it by submitting deeply nested query elements to the action=ask API. No privileges or user interaction are required.

What is the operational impact of exploitation?

Processing the nested query tokens can consume substantial CPU and memory and tie up request workers. This can cause a denial of service, while the provided data indicates no confidentiality or integrity impact.

Which deployments are affected?