How severe is CVE-2016-2512?

CVE-2016-2512 has a CVSS score of 7.4/10, rated HIGH. Immediate patching is strongly recommended.

Which packages are affected by CVE-2016-2512?

CVE-2016-2512 affects the following packages: django (PyPI), django (PyPI). Ecosystems affected: PyPI.

How do I fix CVE-2016-2512?

Update django to 1.8.10 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2016-2512 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.

How do I detect CVE-2016-2512 in my PyPI dependencies?

Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for django, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.

How do I mitigate CVE-2016-2512 if there is no patch (or I can't update yet)?

Escape or sanitise the affected output on the server side rather than relying on client-side filtering, and add a Content-Security-Policy that blocks inline script execution so injected markup cannot run even if it reaches the page.

Is CVE-2016-2512 actively exploited in the wild?

No public exploit code has been indexed for CVE-2016-2512 yet. This does not mean the vulnerability cannot be exploited — absence of public exploits does not imply safety. Apply the recommended fix and use O3 Security to monitor your exposure.

What is the EPSS score for CVE-2016-2512?

CVE-2016-2512 has an EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) score of 4.1%, placing it in the 91th percentile of all CVEs. EPSS is maintained by FIRST.org and estimates the probability that a vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within the next 30 days. This score indicates relatively lower exploitation probability, though the CVSS severity should still guide your patching priority.

What type of vulnerability is CVE-2016-2512?

CVE-2016-2512 is classified as Cross-site Scripting (XSS) (CWE-79). This weakness type describe the underlying flaw category, which helps determine the potential impact and the right class of mitigation. This is a high-impact weakness class that often enables remote code execution or data exposure.

When was CVE-2016-2512 published, and has it been updated?

CVE-2016-2512 was published on April 8, 2016 and was last updated on October 20, 2026. Advisory data evolves as severity scores, affected ranges, and exploit intelligence are revised — always check the latest version of the advisory before acting.

🐍

🐍 PyPI

Not in CISA KEV

HIGH severity

CVE-2016-2512 — django

HIGHFix: django/django@c5544d2

CVE-2016-2512 is a high-severity (CVSS 7.4) Cross-site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in django. A fix is available for django — see the affected versions and patch details below.

Django XSS Vulnerability

Also known asGHSA-pw27-w7w4-9qc7PYSEC-2016-15

Published

Apr 8, 2016

Updated

Oct 20, 2026

Affected

2 pkgs

Patched

2 / 2

Exploits

None indexed

Exploitation data as of Nov 3, 2026 · OSV.dev, NVD, FIRST.org (EPSS)

EPSS Exploitation Probability

via FIRST.org ↗

4.1%probability of exploitation in next 30 days

Lower Risk0.00%

Lower risk than most CVEs91th percentile — riskier than 91% of all scored CVEsHighest risk

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days, from FIRST.org EPSS.

How urgent is this, really

Where this sits among everything scored

Real-World Exposure

2 pkgs affected

🐍django🐍django

Real-time download stats are indexed for npm and PyPI packages. This vulnerability affects PyPI packages — download data is not available via public APIs for these ecosystems.

Description

The utils.http.is_safe_url function in Django before 1.8.10 and 1.9.x before 1.9.3 allows remote attackers to redirect users to arbitrary web sites and conduct phishing attacks or possibly conduct cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks via a URL containing basic authentication, as demonstrated by http://mysite.example.com\@attacker.com.

Affected Packages

2 total 2 fixed

Ecosystem	Package	Vulnerable range	Fix
🐍PyPI	`django`	all versions	1.8.10`pip install --upgrade 'django==1.8.10'`
🐍PyPI	`django`	≥ 1.9a1&&< 1.9.3	1.9.3`pip install --upgrade 'django==1.9.3'`

Affected Products

1 product · 4 configurations

Application

djangodjangoproject

4 versions

1.8.91.91.9.11.9.2

Detection & mitigation playbook

Open-source dependency

Detect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for django, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update django to 1.8.10 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2016-2512 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
Escape or sanitise the affected output on the server side rather than relying on client-side filtering, and add a Content-Security-Policy that blocks inline script execution so injected markup cannot run even if it reaches the page.

Fixing This On Your OS

If you run this on a Linux distribution, patch through your package manager against the distro's own security advisory below — it tracks the exact backported fix for your release, which can ship on a different timeline (and sometimes a different severity) than the upstream project.

Red HatModerate

Product	Fixed in	Advisory
Red Hat Enterprise Linux OpenStack Platform 5.0 (Icehouse) for RHEL 6	`python-django-0:1.6.11-5.el6ost`	RHSA-2016:0502
Red Hat Enterprise Linux OpenStack Platform 5.0 (Icehouse) for RHEL 7	`python-django-0:1.6.11-5.el7ost`	RHSA-2016:0506
Red Hat Enterprise Linux OpenStack Platform 6.0 (Juno) for RHEL 7	`python-django-0:1.6.11-5.el7ost`	RHSA-2016:0505
Red Hat Enterprise Linux OpenStack Platform 7.0 (Kilo) for RHEL 7	`python-django-0:1.8.11-1.el7ost`	RHSA-2016:0504
Red Hat Enterprise Linux OpenStack Platform 7.0 Operational Tools for RHEL 7	`python-django-0:1.6.11-5.el7ost`	RHSA-2016:0503

Frequently Asked Questions

O3 Security · Impact-Aware SCA

Is CVE-2016-2512 in your dependencies?

Find it across PyPI, including transitive dependencies.

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