Defensive mode: Initialize factories in tp_new,

re-initialize in tp_init (because of tp_clear calls)
and also guard each use of row_factory and text_factory
with an explicit NULL check.

Keep the previous delattr guards, because who would be calling
__delattr__ on these anyway.

I'm imagining someone will suggest removing some of these changes,
but something something seek forgiveness something.

Author: stestagg

Lib/test/test_sqlite3/test_factory.py

@@ -164,6 +164,35 @@ def test_delete_cursor_row_factory(self):
         # Executing a query here should succeed.
         self.assertEqual(tuple(cur.execute("select 1").fetchone()), (1,))
 
+    def test_uninitialized_connection_factories(self):
+        # gh-152817: skipping __init__() should still result in initialized factories (None not Null)
+        con = sqlite.Connection.__new__(sqlite.Connection)
+        self.assertIsNone(con.row_factory)
+        self.assertIs(con.text_factory, str)
+
+    def test_uninitialized_cursor_row_factory(self):
+        # gh-152817: skipping __init__() should still result in initialized factories (None not Null)
+        # __init__ must not crash.
+        cur = sqlite.Cursor.__new__(sqlite.Cursor)
+        self.assertIsNone(cur.row_factory)
+
+    def test_subclass_skipping_super_init(self):
+        # gh-152817: forgetting to call super().__init__() shouldn't leave a NULL {row,text}_factory
+        class Connection(sqlite.Connection):
+            def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
+                pass
+
+        class Cursor(sqlite.Cursor):
+            def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
+                pass
+
+        con = Connection(":memory:")
+        self.assertIsNone(con.row_factory)
+        self.assertIs(con.text_factory, str)
+
+        cur = Cursor(self.con)
+        self.assertIsNone(cur.row_factory)
+
     def test_sqlite_row_index_unicode(self):
         row = self.con.execute("select 1 as \xff").fetchone()
         self.assertEqual(row["\xff"], 1)

Misc/NEWS.d/next/Core_and_Builtins/2026-05-13-06-54-41.gh-issue-149738.4BLFoH.rst

@@ -1,2 +1,2 @@
-:mod:`sqlite3`: Disallow removing ``row_factory`` and ``text_factory`` attributes
-of a connection or cursor to prevent a crash on a query.
+:mod:`sqlite3`: Prevent crashes caused by row_factory or text_factory being uninitialized, either
+by skipping __init__ or by deleting the attributes.

Modules/_sqlite/connection.c

@@ -300,8 +300,9 @@ pysqlite_connection_init_impl(pysqlite_Connection *self, PyObject *database,
     self->thread_ident = PyThread_get_thread_ident();
     self->statement_cache = statement_cache;
     self->blobs = blobs;
-    self->row_factory = Py_NewRef(Py_None);
-    self->text_factory = Py_NewRef(&PyUnicode_Type);
+    // re-initialize the factory members here, as tp_clear() is called above in some cases
+    Py_XSETREF(self->row_factory, Py_NewRef(Py_None));
+    Py_XSETREF(self->text_factory, Py_NewRef((PyObject *)&PyUnicode_Type));
     self->trace_ctx = NULL;
     self->progress_ctx = NULL;
     self->authorizer_ctx = NULL;
@@ -339,6 +340,19 @@ pysqlite_connection_init_impl(pysqlite_Connection *self, PyObject *database,
     return -1;
 }
 
+static PyObject *
+pysqlite_connection_new(PyTypeObject *type, PyObject *args, PyObject *kwds)
+{
+    pysqlite_Connection *self = (pysqlite_Connection *)type->tp_alloc(type, 0);
+    if (self == NULL) {
+        return NULL;
+    }
+    // row_factory and text_factory should never be uninitialized, even if tp_init is bypassed.
+    self->row_factory = Py_NewRef(Py_None);
+    self->text_factory = Py_NewRef((PyObject *)&PyUnicode_Type);
+    return (PyObject *)self;
+}
+
 /*[clinic input]
 # Create a new destination 'connect' for the docstring and methoddef only.
 # This makes it possible to keep the signatures for Connection.__init__ and
@@ -549,7 +563,7 @@ pysqlite_connection_cursor_impl(pysqlite_Connection *self, PyObject *factory)
         return NULL;
     }
 
-    if (cursor && self->row_factory != Py_None) {
+    if (cursor && self->row_factory != NULL && !Py_IsNone(self->row_factory)) {
         Py_INCREF(self->row_factory);
         Py_XSETREF(((pysqlite_Cursor *)cursor)->row_factory, self->row_factory);
     }
@@ -561,7 +575,8 @@ static PyObject *
 connection_get_row_factory(PyObject *op, void *closure)
 {
     pysqlite_Connection *self = (pysqlite_Connection *)op;
-    return Py_NewRef(self->row_factory);
+    PyObject *row_factory = self->row_factory;
+    return Py_NewRef(row_factory != NULL ? row_factory : Py_None);
 }
 
 static int
@@ -581,7 +596,9 @@ static PyObject *
 connection_get_text_factory(PyObject *op, void *closure)
 {
     pysqlite_Connection *self = (pysqlite_Connection *)op;
-    return Py_NewRef(self->text_factory);
+    PyObject *text_factory = self->text_factory;
+    return Py_NewRef(text_factory != NULL ? text_factory
+                                          : (PyObject *)&PyUnicode_Type);
 }
 
 static int
@@ -2722,6 +2739,7 @@ static PyType_Slot connection_slots[] = {
     {Py_tp_methods, connection_methods},
     {Py_tp_members, connection_members},
     {Py_tp_getset, connection_getset},
+    {Py_tp_new, pysqlite_connection_new},
     {Py_tp_init, pysqlite_connection_init},
     {Py_tp_call, pysqlite_connection_call},
     {Py_tp_traverse, connection_traverse},

Modules/_sqlite/cursor.c

@@ -143,6 +143,18 @@ pysqlite_cursor_init_impl(pysqlite_Cursor *self,
     return 0;
 }
 
+static PyObject *
+pysqlite_cursor_new(PyTypeObject *type, PyObject *args, PyObject *kwds)
+{
+    pysqlite_Cursor *self = (pysqlite_Cursor *)type->tp_alloc(type, 0);
+    if (self == NULL) {
+        return NULL;
+    }
+    // row_factory should never be uninitialized, even if tp_init is bypassed.
+    self->row_factory = Py_NewRef(Py_None);
+    return (PyObject *)self;
+}
+
 static inline int
 stmt_reset(pysqlite_Statement *self)
 {
@@ -413,7 +425,9 @@ _pysqlite_fetch_one_row(pysqlite_Cursor* self)
                 }
 
                 nbytes = sqlite3_column_bytes(self->statement->st, i);
-                if (self->connection->text_factory == (PyObject*)&PyUnicode_Type) {
+                PyObject *text_factory = self->connection->text_factory;
+                if (text_factory == NULL ||
+                    text_factory == (PyObject*)&PyUnicode_Type) {
                     converted = PyUnicode_FromStringAndSize(text, nbytes);
                     if (!converted && PyErr_ExceptionMatches(PyExc_UnicodeDecodeError)) {
                         PyErr_Clear();
@@ -434,12 +448,12 @@ _pysqlite_fetch_one_row(pysqlite_Cursor* self)
                             Py_DECREF(error_msg);
                         }
                     }
-                } else if (self->connection->text_factory == (PyObject*)&PyBytes_Type) {
+                } else if (text_factory == (PyObject*)&PyBytes_Type) {
                     converted = PyBytes_FromStringAndSize(text, nbytes);
-                } else if (self->connection->text_factory == (PyObject*)&PyByteArray_Type) {
+                } else if (text_factory == (PyObject*)&PyByteArray_Type) {
                     converted = PyByteArray_FromStringAndSize(text, nbytes);
                 } else {
-                    converted = PyObject_CallFunction(self->connection->text_factory, "y#", text, nbytes);
+                    converted = PyObject_CallFunction(text_factory, "y#", text, nbytes);
                 }
             } else {
                 /* coltype == SQLITE_BLOB */
@@ -1176,7 +1190,7 @@ pysqlite_cursor_iternext(PyObject *op)
         }
         return NULL;
     }
-    if (!Py_IsNone(self->row_factory)) {
+    if (self->row_factory != NULL && !Py_IsNone(self->row_factory)) {
         PyObject *factory = self->row_factory;
         PyObject *args[] = { op, row, };
         PyObject *new_row = PyObject_Vectorcall(factory, args, 2, NULL);
@@ -1408,7 +1422,8 @@ static PyObject *
 cursor_get_row_factory(PyObject *op, void *closure)
 {
     pysqlite_Cursor *self = (pysqlite_Cursor *)op;
-    return Py_NewRef(self->row_factory);
+    PyObject *row_factory = self->row_factory;
+    return Py_NewRef(row_factory != NULL ? row_factory : Py_None);
 }
 
 static int
@@ -1441,6 +1456,7 @@ static PyType_Slot cursor_slots[] = {
     {Py_tp_methods, cursor_methods},
     {Py_tp_members, cursor_members},
     {Py_tp_getset, cursor_getsets},
+    {Py_tp_new, pysqlite_cursor_new},
     {Py_tp_init, pysqlite_cursor_init},
     {Py_tp_traverse, cursor_traverse},
     {Py_tp_clear, cursor_clear},