CVE-2011-4138: Django Django Might Allow CSRF Requests Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-wxg3-mfph-qg9w
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CVSS 7.5
CWE-20
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2011-4138 is a HIGH (CVSS 7.5) django might allow csrf requests vulnerability (CWE-20: Improper Input Validation) affecting Django libraries in the PyPI ecosystem. The issue involves django might allow csrf requests via url verification. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 1.2.7, 1.3.1.

CVE-2011-4138 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2011-4138
GHSA Identifier GHSA-wxg3-mfph-qg9w
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 7.5
CWE Classification CWE-20: Improper Input Validation
Affected Product Django
Package Ecosystem PyPI
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 7.5

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N).

Attack Vector Network (AV:N)
Attack Complexity Low (AC:L)
Privileges Required None (PR:N)
User Interaction None (UI:N)
Scope Unchanged (S:U)
Confidentiality None (C:N)
Integrity High (I:H)
Availability None (A:N)

How to Fix CVE-2011-4138

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Django dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

Django fixed: 1.2.7 
pip install Django>=1.2.7
Django fixed: 1.3.1 
pip install Django>=1.3.1
Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release: 

pip show Django

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Python environment is affected by CVE-2011-4138, inspect your installed packages using pip:

pip show Django

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Django in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 1.2.7), your application is affected.

Note: The pip show Django command checks currently installed packages in your active Python environment.

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-20: Improper Input Validation, where the product receives input or data, but it does not validate or incorrectly validates that the input has the properties that are required to process the data safely and correctly. In Django, software state validation or input boundaries are circumvented during processing. Review the official source advisory statement below for specific affected components, classes, and reproduction details.

Source Advisory Statement

The `verify_exists` functionality in the URLField implementation in Django before 1.2.7 and 1.3.x before 1.3.1 originally tests a URL's validity through a HEAD request, but then uses a GET request for the new target URL in the case of a redirect, which might allow remote attackers to trigger arbitrary GET requests with an unintended source IP address via a crafted Location header.

CVE-2011-4138 Affected Django Versions

2 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
1.2.71.3.1
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
Django
pypi/Django
PyPI
< 1.2.7
1.2.7
Django
pypi/Django
PyPI
≥ 1.3
< 1.3.1
1.3.1

References

NVD — CVE-2011-4138 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2011-4138
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/django/django/commit/1a76dbefdfc60e2d5954c0ba614c3d054ba9c3f0
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/django/django/commit/7268f8af86186518821d775c530d5558fd726930
bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi WEB
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=737366
Django Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/django/django
Django Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/pypa/advisory-database/tree/main/vulns/django/PYSEC-2011-3.yaml
hermes.opensuse.org/messages/14700881 WEB
https://hermes.opensuse.org/messages/14700881
Django Security Information SECURITY
https://www.djangoproject.com/weblog/2011/sep/09
Django Security Information SECURITY
https://www.djangoproject.com/weblog/2011/sep/10/127
Django Security Information SECURITY
http://openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2011/09/11/1
Django Security Information SECURITY
http://openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2011/09/13/2
Django Security Information SECURITY
http://www.debian.org/security/2011/dsa-2332

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2011-4138?
CVE-2011-4138 is a security vulnerability in Django involving Django Might Allow CSRF Requests via URL Verification under CWE-20: Improper Input Validation.
Which Django versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 1.2.7, 1.3.1 across affected packages: Django.
What version fixes CVE-2011-4138?
Upgrading to 1.2.7, 1.3.1 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is Django affected?
Yes, Django is affected in releases prior to 1.2.7, 1.3.1. Upgrade your dependency to 1.2.7, 1.3.1 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2011-4138?
CVE-2011-4138 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.5 (HIGH) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2011-4138?
CVE-2011-4138 is classified under CWE-20: Improper Input Validation (The product receives input or data, but it does not validate or incorrectly validates that the input has the properties that are required to process the data safely and correctly.).
How can I check PyPI dependencies for CVE-2011-4138?
Run the dependency tree command: 'pip show Django'. This command lists direct and transitive dependencies in your build configuration so you can verify if a vulnerable version is resolved.
Machine-readable OSV JSON OSV v1.5 Schema
Normalized schema output
View Raw JSON 
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-wxg3-mfph-qg9w",
  "modified" : "2024-09-16T22:32:03Z",
  "published" : "2022-05-14T03:49:36Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2011-4138" ],
  "summary" : "Django Might Allow CSRF Requests via URL Verification",
  "details" : "The `verify_exists` functionality in the URLField implementation in Django before 1.2.7 and 1.3.x before 1.3.1 originally tests a URL's validity through a HEAD request, but then uses a GET request for the new target URL in the case of a redirect, which might allow remote attackers to trigger arbitrary GET requests with an unintended source IP address via a crafted Location header.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N"
  }, {
    "type" : "CVSS_V4",
    "score" : "CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:H/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "PyPI",
      "name" : "Django"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "1.2.7"
      } ]
    } ]
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "PyPI",
      "name" : "Django"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "1.3"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "1.3.1"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2011-4138"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/django/django/commit/1a76dbefdfc60e2d5954c0ba614c3d054ba9c3f0"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/django/django/commit/7268f8af86186518821d775c530d5558fd726930"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=737366"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/django/django"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/pypa/advisory-database/tree/main/vulns/django/PYSEC-2011-3.yaml"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://hermes.opensuse.org/messages/14700881"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.djangoproject.com/weblog/2011/sep/09"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.djangoproject.com/weblog/2011/sep/10/127"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2011/09/11/1"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2011/09/13/2"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://www.debian.org/security/2011/dsa-2332"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-20" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2024-01-16T22:48:09Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2011-10-19T10:55:00Z"
  }
}