CVE-2011-4136: Django Session Manipulation Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-x88j-93vc-wpmp
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CVSS 4.0
CWE-20
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2011-4136 is a MODERATE (CVSS 4.0) session manipulation vulnerability (CWE-20: Improper Input Validation) affecting Django libraries in the PyPI ecosystem. The issue involves session manipulation in django. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 1.2.7, 1.3.1.

CVE-2011-4136 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2011-4136
GHSA Identifier GHSA-x88j-93vc-wpmp
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 4.0
CWE Classification CWE-20: Improper Input Validation
Affected Product Django
Package Ecosystem PyPI
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 4.0

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

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

How to Fix CVE-2011-4136

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-2011-4136, 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

django.contrib.sessions in Django before 1.2.7 and 1.3.x before 1.3.1, when session data is stored in the cache, uses the root namespace for both session identifiers and application-data keys, which allows remote attackers to modify a session by triggering use of a key that is equal to that session's identifier.

CVE-2011-4136 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-2011-4136 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2011-4136
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/django/django/commit/ac7c3a110f906e4dfed3a17451bf7fd9fcb81296
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/django/django/commit/fbe2eead2fa9d808658ca582241bcacb02618840
bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi WEB
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=737366
GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-x88j-93vc-wpmp
Django Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/django/django
Django Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/pypa/advisory-database/tree/main/vulns/django/PYSEC-2011-1.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-2011-4136?
CVE-2011-4136 is a security vulnerability in Django involving Session manipulation in Django 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-2011-4136?
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-2011-4136?
CVE-2011-4136 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 4.0 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2011-4136?
CVE-2011-4136 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-2011-4136?
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-x88j-93vc-wpmp",
  "modified" : "2024-09-16T23:03:58Z",
  "published" : "2018-07-23T19:52:39Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2011-4136" ],
  "summary" : "Session manipulation in Django",
  "details" : "django.contrib.sessions in Django before 1.2.7 and 1.3.x before 1.3.1, when session data is stored in the cache, uses the root namespace for both session identifiers and application-data keys, which allows remote attackers to modify a session by triggering use of a key that is equal to that session's identifier.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N"
  }, {
    "type" : "CVSS_V4",
    "score" : "CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:L/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "PyPI",
      "name" : "Django"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
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      } ]
    } ]
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "PyPI",
      "name" : "Django"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "1.3"
      }, {
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      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2011-4136"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/django/django/commit/ac7c3a110f906e4dfed3a17451bf7fd9fcb81296"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/django/django/commit/fbe2eead2fa9d808658ca582241bcacb02618840"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=737366"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-x88j-93vc-wpmp"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/django/django"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/pypa/advisory-database/tree/main/vulns/django/PYSEC-2011-1.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" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2020-06-16T22:02:42Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : null
  }
}