CVE-2021-44420 is a high-severity (CVSS 7.3) vulnerability in django. A fix is available for django — see the affected versions and patch details below.
Potential bypass of an upstream access control based on URL paths in Django
EPSS Exploitation Probability
Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days, from FIRST.org EPSS.
How urgent is this, really
CVE-2021-44420 by exploitation likelihood (EPSS) against impact (CVSS). Outside the shaded patch-first corner.
Where this sits among everything scored
Of 385,987 CVEs with a current EPSS score, this one falls in the < 10% band (highlighted). Counts from FIRST.org, log-scaled.
Real-World Exposure
django🐍django🐍djangoReal-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
In Django 2.2 before 2.2.25, 3.1 before 3.1.14, and 3.2 before 3.2.10, HTTP requests for URLs with trailing newlines could bypass upstream access control based on URL paths. This issue has low severity, according to the Django security policy.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🐍PyPI | django | ≥ 2.2a1&&< 2.2.25 | 2.2.25pip install --upgrade 'django==2.2.25' |
| 🐍PyPI | django | ≥ 3.0a1&&< 3.1.14 | 3.1.14pip install --upgrade 'django==3.1.14' |
| 🐍PyPI | django | ≥ 3.2a1&&< 3.2.10 | 3.2.10pip install --upgrade 'django==3.2.10' |
Affected Products
ubuntu linuxcanonicaldebian linuxdebiandjangodjangoprojectfedorafedoraprojectsatelliteredhatDetection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
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 2.2.25 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2021-44420 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
Put an independent control in front of the weakness: restrict the affected endpoint or interface to trusted networks, require an additional authentication factor or proxy-level check, and invalidate existing sessions and credentials in case the flaw has already been used.
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.
| Product | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Satellite 6.11 for RHEL 8 | python-django-0:3.2.13-1.el8pc | RHSA-2022:5498 |
| RHUI 4 for RHEL 8 | python-django-0:3.2.16-1.0.1.el8ui | RHSA-2023:0742 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2021-44420 in your dependencies?
Find it across PyPI, including transitive dependencies.