Description
OpenTelemetry Python provides the Python API and SDK for OpenTelemetry. Prior to 1.45.1, the opentelemetry-api function TraceState.from_header in opentelemetry/trace/span.py, reached through TraceContextTextMapPropagator.extract, parses inbound W3C tracestate headers with an unbounded optional-whitespace regular expression. A malformed header containing a long run of spaces or tabs without a following comma causes quadratic backtracking before the member-count limit is applied. Services using the default W3C Trace Context propagator can therefore spend excessive CPU time on one unauthenticated request when the HTTP server, parser, gateway, or custom carrier accepts a sufficiently large header. The processing can occupy a synchronous worker or delay unrelated requests on the same asynchronous event loop. The impact is limited to availability and does not expose or modify telemetry data or allow code execution. This issue is fixed in version 1.45.1.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|---|
| open-telemetry | opentelemetry-python | < 1.45.1 | — |
Fixed in Linux distributions
Distributions backport fixes, so the version that fixes this vulnerability differs per release — upgrade to at least the version shown. From the distributions' security trackers and advisories.
Debian
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian 14 | python-opentelemetry | 1.45.1-1 | — |
Ubuntu
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu 26.10 | python-opentelemetry | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 26.04 LTS | python-opentelemetry | No fix yet | — |
openSUSE
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| openSUSE Tumbleweed | python-opentelemetry-api | 1.45.1-1.1 | openSUSE-SU-2026:12408-1 |
Wolfi
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wolfi rolling | datadog-agent-7.78-core-integrations | No fix yet | — |
| Wolfi rolling | datadog-agent-7.79-core-integrations | 7.79.2-r28 | — |
| Wolfi rolling | datadog-agent-7.80-core-integrations | 7.80.4-r25 | — |
| Wolfi rolling | datadog-agent-7.81-core-integrations | 7.81.3-r15 | — |
| Wolfi rolling | open-webui | 0.12.3-r10 | — |
| Wolfi rolling | semgrep | 1.182.0-r8 | — |
Affected packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Affected | Fixed | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PyPI | opentelemetry-api | < 1.45.1 | 1.45.1 | GHSA-xcq7-p3pf-p88h |
Advisories 1
- openSUSE-SU-2026:12408-1 python313-opentelemetry-api-1.45.1-1.1 on GA media SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Nov 4, 2026
References
- https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-python/security/advisories/GHSA-xcq7-p3pf-p88h
- https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-python/pull/5749
- https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-python/commit/d5224bf4ffdf2aee1b592ad238dcc32ca957f26b
- https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-python/blob/main/CHANGELOG.md#version-1451066b1-2026-10-06
- https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-python/releases/tag/v1.45.1