league/commonmark versions >= 2.0.0 and < 2.8.4 (patched in 2.9.0) contain a denial of service vulnerability in UniqueSlugNormalizer::normalize(), which restarts its numeric-suffix search from 1 on every slug collision, resulting in O(K^2) time complexity for K headings that collapse to the same base slug. The vulnerable path is reached when HeadingPermalinkExtension, FootnoteExtension, or TableOfContentsExtension is registered. An unauthenticated attacker can force many headings onto a single base slug (e.g., via empty ATX headings, identical heading text, or punctuation-only headings) in a small Markdown document, consuming excessive CPU and denying service.

Attack Vector Network

Attack Complexity Low

Privileges Required None

Attack Requirements None

User Interaction None

Vulnerable System Confidentiality Impact None

Vulnerable System Integrity Impact None

Vulnerable System Availability Impact High

Subsequent System Confidentiality Impact None

Subsequent System Integrity Impact None

Subsequent System Availability Impact None

Attack Vector Network

Attack Complexity Low

Privileges Required None

Scope Unchanged

Confidentiality Impact None

Integrity Impact None

Availability Impact High

User Interaction None

No CVSS v3.0

No CVSS v2

This CVE is not in the KEV list.

No EPSS score available.

Key SSVC decision points have not yet been added.

Default status is the baseline for the product, each version can override it (e.g. patched versions marked unaffected).

Vendor Product Default status Versions
thephpleague commonmark unaffected
Version Status Constraints
2.0.0 affected < 2.8.4
2.8.4 unaffected —

No data.

No data.

No data.

Project Subscriptions

Vendors Products
Thephpleague Subscribe
Commonmark Subscribe
Advisories

No advisories yet.

Fixes

Solution

No solution given by the vendor.

Workaround

No workaround given by the vendor.

References
Link Providers
https://github.com/thephpleague/commonmark/security/advisories/GHSA-mh25-x5hq-wrqp cve-icon cve-icon
https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/commonmark-2.0.0-through-2.8.3-denial-of-service-via-slug-collision cve-icon cve-icon
History

Mon, 07 Sep 2026 13:00:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Description league/commonmark versions >= 2.0.0 and < 2.8.4 (patched in 2.9.0) contain a denial of service vulnerability in UniqueSlugNormalizer::normalize(), which restarts its numeric-suffix search from 1 on every slug collision, resulting in O(K^2) time complexity for K headings that collapse to the same base slug. The vulnerable path is reached when HeadingPermalinkExtension, FootnoteExtension, or TableOfContentsExtension is registered. An unauthenticated attacker can force many headings onto a single base slug (e.g., via empty ATX headings, identical heading text, or punctuation-only headings) in a small Markdown document, consuming excessive CPU and denying service.
Title commonmark 2.0.0 through 2.8.3 Denial of Service via Slug Collision
First Time appeared Thephpleague
Thephpleague commonmark
Weaknesses CWE-407
CPEs cpe:2.3:a:thephpleague:commonmark:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
Vendors & Products Thephpleague
Thephpleague commonmark
References
Metrics cvssV3_1

{'score': 7.5, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H'}

cvssV4_0

{'score': 8.7, 'vector': 'CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N'}

Projects

Sign in to view the affected projects.

cve-icon MITRE

Status: PUBLISHED

Assigner: VulnCheck

Published:

Updated: 2026-09-07T12:53:53.194Z

Reserved: 2026-09-07T12:34:31.457Z

Link: CVE-2026-86434

cve-icon Vulnrichment

No data.

cve-icon NVD

Status : Received

Published: 2026-09-07T13:20:42.870

Modified: 2026-09-07T13:20:42.870

Link: CVE-2026-86434

cve-icon Redhat

No data.

cve-icon OpenCVE Enrichment

No data.

Weaknesses