Django: External Control of File Name or Path
CVE-2026-15307 is a high-severity external control of file name or path vulnerability in Django, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 8.8 out of 10. It can be exploited remotely over the network by an attacker with a low-privileged account, without any action from a user. The record lists versions 6.0.8, 5.2.17 as the first without the flaw, so updating Django to one of those releases or later removes the exposure. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 1.13% chance of exploitation within 30 days, higher than 67% of scored CVEs.
High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.
What to do
- Update Django to 6.0.8 or 5.2.17, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
- Read the advisory on docs.djangoproject.com for workarounds and exact fixed builds.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Django | Django | 6.0 up to, but not including, 6.0.8; 5.2 up to, but not including, 5.2.17 | 6.0.8, 5.2.17 |
Version data comes from the organisation that assigned the CVE. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.
How the severity score breaks down
- Attack vector
- NetworkCan be exploited remotely over a network, including the internet.
- Attack complexity
- LowNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
- Privileges required
- LowA basic user account is enough.
- User interaction
- NoneNo action by a victim is required.
- Scope
- UnchangedImpact stays within the vulnerable component.
- Confidentiality
- HighAll data handled by the component can be read.
- Integrity
- HighData or code can be modified at will.
- Availability
- HighThe component can be taken down completely.
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H. Scored by CNA.
| Scoring system | Score | Severity | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS 4.0 | 8.7 | High | CNA |
| CVSS 3.1 | 8.8 | High | CNA |
Official description
An issue was discovered in Django 5.2 before 5.2.17 and 6.0 before 6.0.8. GeoDjango spatial lookups optimistically parse the right-hand-side value as a raster by passing it to the `django.contrib.gis.gdal.GDALRaster` constructor. Any value used in a spatial lookup against a `GeometryField` or `RasterField` reaches this constructor, including untrusted input, for example a spatial-field filter submitted through the Django admin changelist query string by a staff user with view permission. A `dict`, or a `str` holding its JSON representation, is opened in write mode regardless of the constructor's `write=False` default, allowing a file with an attacker-chosen name and contents to be written through a file-backed GDAL driver. Any other `str` is treated as a datasource, allowing an outbound network request through a GDAL virtual filesystem handler. Writing a file to a location later imported by the application can result in remote code execution. Earlier, unsupported Django series (such as 5.1.x, 5.0.x, and 4.2.x) were not evaluated and may also be affected. Django would like to thank Bence Nagy, localhost-detect, and kimchunbok_ for reporting this issue.
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
The underlying weakness: External Control of File Name or Path
The product allows user input to control or influence paths or file names that are used in filesystem operations.
How developers prevent this class of flaw
- When the set of filenames is limited or known, create a mapping from a set of fixed input values (such as numeric IDs) to the actual filenames, and reject all other inputs. For example, ID 1 could map to inbox.txt and ID 2 could map to profile.txt. Features such as the ESAPI AccessReferenceMap provide this capability.
- Run your code in a jail or similar sandbox environment that enforces strict boundaries between the process and the operating system. This may effectively restrict all access to files within a particular directory. Examples include the Unix chroot jail and AppArmor. In general, managed code may provide some protection. This may not be a feasible solution, and it only limits the impact to the operating system; the rest of your application may still be subject to compromise. Be careful to avoid CWE-243 and other weaknesses related to jails.
- For any security checks that are performed on the client side, ensure that these checks are duplicated on the server side, in order to avoid CWE-602. Attackers can bypass the client-side checks by modifying values after the checks have been performed, or by changing the client to remove the client-side checks entirely. Then, these modified values would be submitted to the server.
More External Control of File Name or Path vulnerabilities (CWE-73)
Timeline
- CVE record published.
- CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: no, technical impact: total).
- Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).
References
Advisories
Patches and release notes
Other references
- groups.google.com/g/django-announceMailing List
Other vulnerabilities in Django
- 9.8 Critical severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 8.5 High severity
- 8.3 High severity
Recent External Control of File Name or Path vulnerabilities
- 7.1 High severity
- 7.1 High severity
- 8.8 High severity
- 7.1 High severity
- 8.1 High severity
- 9.1 Critical severity
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