# CVE-2026-48987: pyLoad: Unbounded Memory Growth Leading to DoS and Potential DDoS in EventManager

> An authenticated user can cause unbounded memory growth in pyLoad by submitting unique UUIDs, leading to denial of service.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 15 Sep 2026
- **Updated:** 15 Sep 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-c2f9-4mc8-j656, PYSEC-2026-2992

## What is CVE-2026-48987?

CVE-2026-48987 is a medium-severity denial of service vulnerability in pyload, published on 15 Sep 2026. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

pyLoad is a free and open-source download manager written in Python. Prior to 0.5.0b3.dev101, EventManager in src/pyload/core/managers/event_manager.py appends a Client object to the clients list for each unique uuid submitted to the authenticated getEvents API endpoint, but get_events does not invoke the available clean method to remove inactive clients. An authenticated user can repeatedly submit unique UUID values, causing retained client objects and process memory to grow without bound even after requests stop. The resulting memory exhaustion can trigger an operating-system out-of-memory termination of pyLoad or host-wide instability and denial of service. This issue is fixed in version 0.5.0b3.dev101.

Weakness: CWE-770 (Allocation of Resources Without Limits or Throttling), CWE-401 (Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime), CWE-400 (Uncontrolled Resource Consumption)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-48987?

3 open source packages ship an affected version, including pyload-ng.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `pyload-ng` | PyPI | All versions to 0.5.0b3.dev100 | None |
| `pyload-ng` | PyPI | All versions to 0.5.0b3.dev100 | None |
| `pyload-ng` | PyPI | All versions to 0.5.0b3.dev100 | None |

## How do I fix CVE-2026-48987?

No fix has been published for CVE-2026-48987 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2026-48987 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2026-48987 exists.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-48987 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-48987 is a medium-severity denial of service vulnerability in pyload, published on 15 Sep 2026. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2026-48987 exists.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- pyload-ng (PyPI): affected all versions up to 0.5.0b3.dev100; no fix listed
- pyload-ng (PyPI): affected all versions up to 0.5.0b3.dev100; no fix listed
- pyload-ng (PyPI): affected all versions up to 0.5.0b3.dev100; no fix listed

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-48987/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-48987/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-48987
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-48987
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-48987

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-48987/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.