CVE-2026-54529: SQLAdmin Unvalidated SortBy Parameter Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-ccg5-9c8w-xh6v
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CVSS 5.3
CWE-639 CWE-20 CWE-200 CWE-248
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2026-54529 is a MODERATE (CVSS 5.3) unvalidated sortby parameter vulnerability (CWE-639: Authorization Bypass Through User-Controlled Key) affecting SQLAdmin libraries in the PyPI ecosystem. The issue involves unvalidated sortby parameter in `modelview` bypasses `column_sortable_list`. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 0.27.1.

CVE-2026-54529 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2026-54529
GHSA Identifier GHSA-ccg5-9c8w-xh6v
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 5.3
CWE Classification CWE-639: Authorization Bypass Through User-Controlled Key
Affected Product SQLAdmin
Package Ecosystem PyPI
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 5.3

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:L/I:N/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 Low (C:L)
Integrity None (I:N)
Availability None (A:N)

How to Fix CVE-2026-54529

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

sqladmin fixed: 0.27.1 
pip install sqladmin>=0.27.1
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 sqladmin

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Python environment is affected by CVE-2026-54529, inspect your installed packages using pip:

pip show sqladmin

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of SQLAdmin in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 0.27.1), your application is affected.

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

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-639: Authorization Bypass Through User-Controlled Key, where the system's authorization functionality does not prevent one user from gaining access to another user's data or record by modifying the key value identifying the data. In SQLAdmin, 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

## Summary `ModelView.sort_query()` uses the attacker-controlled `sortBy` list-view query parameter without checking it against the configured `column_sortable_list` allow-list. The value is resolved with `getattr(model, ...)` and fed into relationship joins and `order_by()`, so a request can sort by **any** column of the model — including ones hidden from `column_list` — and, via a dotted path, by columns of related models. Because row order then reflects the value of an unexposed column, this is an information-exposure **ordering oracle**. ## Root cause `column_sortable_list` is consulted only in the list template to decide which header links to render; the server never enforces it, so removing a column from the UI does not prevent sorting by it. ## Exploitation A single request leaks the relative ordering of an unexposed column; the `asc`↔`desc` reversal confirms rows are ordered by the secret's actual value. Pairing `sortBy` with searchable/filterable columns and pagination can narrow the oracle toward specific values, though value recovery is conditional on having a filterable target column.

CVE-2026-54529 Affected SQLAdmin Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
0.27.1
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
sqladmin
pypi/sqladmin
PyPI
< 0.27.1
0.27.1

References

GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://github.com/smithyhq/sqladmin/security/advisories/GHSA-ccg5-9c8w-xh6v
SQLAdmin Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/smithyhq/sqladmin
SQLAdmin Release RELEASE
https://github.com/smithyhq/sqladmin/releases/tag/0.27.1

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-54529?
CVE-2026-54529 is a security vulnerability in SQLAdmin involving Unvalidated sortBy parameter in `ModelView` bypasses `column_sortable_list` under CWE-639: Authorization Bypass Through User-Controlled Key.
Which SQLAdmin versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 0.27.1 across affected packages: sqladmin.
What version fixes CVE-2026-54529?
Upgrading to 0.27.1 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is sqladmin affected?
Yes, sqladmin is affected in releases prior to 0.27.1. Upgrade your dependency to 0.27.1 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2026-54529?
CVE-2026-54529 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 5.3 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2026-54529?
CVE-2026-54529 is classified under CWE-639: Authorization Bypass Through User-Controlled Key (The system's authorization functionality does not prevent one user from gaining access to another user's data or record by modifying the key value identifying the data.).
How can I check PyPI dependencies for CVE-2026-54529?
Run the dependency tree command: 'pip show sqladmin'. 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-ccg5-9c8w-xh6v",
  "modified" : "2026-09-09T18:01:56Z",
  "published" : "2026-09-09T18:01:56Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-54529" ],
  "summary" : "SQLAdmin: Unvalidated sortBy parameter in `ModelView` bypasses `column_sortable_list`",
  "details" : "## Summary\n\n`ModelView.sort_query()` uses the attacker-controlled `sortBy` list-view query parameter without checking it against the configured `column_sortable_list` allow-list. The value is resolved with `getattr(model, ...)` and fed into relationship joins and `order_by()`, so a request can sort by **any** column of the model — including ones hidden from `column_list` — and, via a dotted path, by columns of related models. Because row order then reflects the value of an unexposed column, this is an information-exposure **ordering oracle**.\n\n## Root cause\n\n`column_sortable_list` is consulted only in the list template to decide which header links to render; the server never enforces it, so removing a column from the UI does not prevent sorting by it.\n\n## Exploitation\n\nA single request leaks the relative ordering of an unexposed column; the `asc`↔`desc` reversal confirms rows are ordered by the secret's actual value. Pairing `sortBy` with searchable/filterable columns and pagination can narrow the oracle toward specific values, though value recovery is conditional on having a filterable target column.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "PyPI",
      "name" : "sqladmin"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "0.27.1"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/smithyhq/sqladmin/security/advisories/GHSA-ccg5-9c8w-xh6v"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/smithyhq/sqladmin"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/smithyhq/sqladmin/releases/tag/0.27.1"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-20", "CWE-200", "CWE-248", "CWE-639" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2026-09-09T18:01:56Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : null
  }
}