# CVE-2026-23985: Apache Superset ReDoS in SQL Parser

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-23985-apache-superset-redos-in-sql-parser  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-07-30. Updated: 2026-07-30  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2026-23985 · Severity: info · CVSS 5.3 · Published 2026-07-30

Apache Superset, a data visualization and exploration platform, is vulnerable to a denial-of-service attack. An authorized user can send a specially crafted database query containing long sequences of characters that causes the system's SQL parser to consume excessive CPU resources. This can lead to significant performance degradation or a complete service outage for all users.

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2026-23985 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-23985 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2026-23985?** Informational severity, with a CVSS score of 5.3, published 30 July 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** Apache Superset 1.5.0 through 5.0.0; all versions before 6.0.0.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2026-23985?** No fixed version is recorded yet. Check the vendor's advisory in the references below. If you run it, Junglewise drafts a mitigation that fits your setup and applies it once you approve, with senior security engineers behind it.

**How is CVE-2026-23985 attacked?** It is attacked over the network, in a network appliance.

**Am I affected by CVE-2026-23985?** Check whether anything you run is named in the advisory. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

## Technical details

A Regular Expression Denial of Service (ReDoS) vulnerability (CWE-1333) exists in the `sql_parse.py` component of Apache Superset. The `SQL_REGEX` used for parsing SQL statements contains overlapping disjunctions with a common outer quantifier, leading to exponential backtracking when processing certain patterns. An authenticated attacker can trigger this by submitting a query with a long sequence of backslashes or repeated patterns to endpoints like `/api/v1/chart/data`. The issue is fixed in version 6.0.0; workarounds include implementing WAF rules to block long backslash sequences in the `queries.extras.where` parameter and applying strict rate limiting.

## Affected products

- Apache Superset 1.5.0 through 5.0.0; all versions before 6.0.0

## Timeline

- 2026-07-30: disclosed
- 2026-07-30: advisory

## References

- [https://lists.apache.org/thread/fdy7tx7glv90ypd7qnm1g1pt7nn336qx](https://lists.apache.org/thread/fdy7tx7glv90ypd7qnm1g1pt7nn336qx)
- [http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/07/30/7](http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/07/30/7)