GHSA-x5cx-w6p2-mxf2: Wagtail Improper Permission Handling When Copying Vulnerability

MODERATE
CVSS 6.5
CWE-280
Published
Advisory Summary

GHSA-x5cx-w6p2-mxf2 is a MODERATE (CVSS 6.5) improper permission handling when copying vulnerability (CWE-280: Improper Handling of Insufficient Permissions or Privileges) affecting Wagtail libraries in the PyPI ecosystem. The issue involves improper permission handling when copying snippets. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 7.0.9, 7.3.4, 7.4.3, 8.0rc2.

GHSA-x5cx-w6p2-mxf2 at a Glance

CVE Identifier N/A
GHSA Identifier GHSA-x5cx-w6p2-mxf2
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 6.5
CWE Classification CWE-280: Improper Handling of Insufficient Permissions or Privileges
Affected Product Wagtail
Package Ecosystem PyPI
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 6.5

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

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

How to Fix GHSA-x5cx-w6p2-mxf2

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

wagtail fixed: 7.0.9
pip install wagtail>=7.0.9
wagtail fixed: 7.3.4
pip install wagtail>=7.3.4
wagtail fixed: 7.4.3
pip install wagtail>=7.4.3
wagtail fixed: 8.0rc2
pip install wagtail>=8.0rc2
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 wagtail

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Python environment is affected by GHSA-x5cx-w6p2-mxf2, inspect your installed packages using pip:

pip show wagtail

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Wagtail in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 7.0.9), your application is affected.

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

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-280: Improper Handling of Insufficient Permissions or Privileges, where the product does not handle or incorrectly handles when it has insufficient privileges to access resources or functionality as specified by their permissions. this may cause it to follow unexpected code paths that may leave the product in an invalid state. In Wagtail, 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

### Impact A CMS user with "add" permission over a snippet model, but not "change" or "view" permission, could copy an existing snippet that they do not have access to, allowing them to view its contents. ### Patches Patched versions have been released as Wagtail 7.0.9, 7.3.4, 7.4.3 and 8.0rc2. ### Workarounds N/A ### Acknowledgements Many thanks to tinyb0y for reporting this issue. ### For more information If you have any questions or comments about this advisory: * Visit Wagtail's [support channels](https://docs.wagtail.org/en/stable/support.html) * Email us at [security@wagtail.org](mailto:security@wagtail.org) (view our [security policy](https://github.com/wagtail/wagtail/security/policy) for more information).

GHSA-x5cx-w6p2-mxf2 Affected Wagtail Versions

4 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
7.0.97.3.47.4.38.0rc2
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
wagtail
PyPI
< 7.0.9
7.0.9
wagtail
PyPI
≥ 7.1
< 7.3.4
7.3.4
wagtail
PyPI
≥ 7.4
< 7.4.3
7.4.3
wagtail
PyPI
≥ 8.0rc1
< 8.0rc2
All 1 versions
8.0rc1
8.0rc2

References

Frequently Asked Questions

What is GHSA-x5cx-w6p2-mxf2?
GHSA-x5cx-w6p2-mxf2 is a security vulnerability in Wagtail involving Improper permission handling when copying snippets under CWE-280: Improper Handling of Insufficient Permissions or Privileges.
Which Wagtail versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 7.0.9, 7.3.4, 7.4.3, 8.0rc2 across affected packages: wagtail.
What version fixes GHSA-x5cx-w6p2-mxf2?
Upgrading to 7.0.9, 7.3.4, 7.4.3, 8.0rc2 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is wagtail affected?
Yes, wagtail is affected in releases prior to 7.0.9, 7.3.4, 7.4.3, 8.0rc2. Upgrade your dependency to 7.0.9, 7.3.4, 7.4.3, 8.0rc2 or later.
What is the CVSS score of GHSA-x5cx-w6p2-mxf2?
GHSA-x5cx-w6p2-mxf2 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 6.5 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N.
What CWE is associated with GHSA-x5cx-w6p2-mxf2?
GHSA-x5cx-w6p2-mxf2 is classified under CWE-280: Improper Handling of Insufficient Permissions or Privileges (The product does not handle or incorrectly handles when it has insufficient privileges to access resources or functionality as specified by their permissions. This may cause it to follow unexpected code paths that may leave the product in an invalid state.).
How can I check PyPI dependencies for GHSA-x5cx-w6p2-mxf2?
Run the dependency tree command: 'pip show wagtail'. 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
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-x5cx-w6p2-mxf2",
  "modified" : "2026-08-20T18:45:23Z",
  "published" : "2026-08-20T18:45:23Z",
  "aliases" : [ ],
  "summary" : "Wagtail: Improper permission handling when copying snippets",
  "details" : "### Impact\nA CMS user with \"add\" permission over a snippet model, but not \"change\" or \"view\" permission, could copy an existing snippet that they do not have access to, allowing them to view its contents.\n\n### Patches\nPatched versions have been released as Wagtail 7.0.9, 7.3.4, 7.4.3 and 8.0rc2.\n\n### Workarounds\nN/A\n\n### Acknowledgements\nMany thanks to tinyb0y for reporting this issue.\n\n### For more information\nIf you have any questions or comments about this advisory:\n\n* Visit Wagtail's [support channels](https://docs.wagtail.org/en/stable/support.html)\n* Email us at [security@wagtail.org](mailto:security@wagtail.org) (view our [security policy](https://github.com/wagtail/wagtail/security/policy) for more information).",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "PyPI",
      "name" : "wagtail"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "7.0.9"
      } ]
    } ]
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "PyPI",
      "name" : "wagtail"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "7.1"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "7.3.4"
      } ]
    } ]
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "PyPI",
      "name" : "wagtail"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "7.4"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "7.4.3"
      } ]
    } ]
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "PyPI",
      "name" : "wagtail"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "8.0rc1"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "8.0rc2"
      } ]
    } ],
    "versions" : [ "8.0rc1" ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/wagtail/wagtail/security/advisories/GHSA-x5cx-w6p2-mxf2"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/wagtail/wagtail"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-280" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2026-08-20T18:45:23Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : null
  }
}