---
id: CVE-2026-116872
title: >-
  Semantic MediaWiki 3.0.0 before 7.3.1 Denial of Service via Special:Search
  Compact Filters
summary: >-
  Semantic MediaWiki from 3.0.0 before 7.3.1 contains an algorithmic complexity
  vulnerability in TermParser::normalize_compact_form() that allows
  unauthenticated attackers to cause quadratic CPU consumption. Attackers can
  submit long searc…
severity: high
cvss: 7.5
cvssVector: 'CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H'
cvssSource: cna
cwe:
  - CWE-407
vendor: SemanticMediaWiki
product: SemanticMediaWiki
affected:
  - SemanticMediaWiki >= 3.0.0 < 7.3.1
published: '2026-10-27'
updated: '2026-10-27'
sourceUpdated: '2026-10-27T10:26:38.802Z'
source: CVEORG
sourceUrl: 'https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-116872'
references:
  - url: >-
      https://github.com/SemanticMediaWiki/SemanticMediaWiki/security/advisories/GHSA-j2r2-7qpg-p675
    label: GitHub Security Advisory (GHSA-j2r2-7qpg-p675)
  - url: >-
      https://github.com/SemanticMediaWiki/SemanticMediaWiki/commit/c2bf1699dec4016e21ce52613152bda799ce87d4
  - url: >-
      https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/semantic-mediawiki-3.0.0-before-7.3.1-denial-of-service-via-special-search-compact-filters
    label: >-
      VulnCheck Advisory: Semantic MediaWiki 3.0.0 before 7.3.1 Denial of
      Service via Special:Search Compact Filters
tags:
  - cve.org
ingestedAt: '2026-10-27T16:11:59.283Z'
---

## Overview

Semantic MediaWiki from 3.0.0 before 7.3.1 contains an algorithmic complexity vulnerability in TermParser::normalize_compact_form() that allows unauthenticated attackers to cause quadratic CPU consumption. Attackers can submit long search terms with many distinct in:(...) or has:(...) expressions to Special:Search to exhaust PHP search workers when the extended search engine is enabled.

## Affected

- `SemanticMediaWiki >= 3.0.0 < 7.3.1`

## Remediation

Refer to the linked advisories for vendor-supplied fixes and affected version ranges.