CVE-2010-4534 in django
Summary
by MITRE
The administrative interface in django.contrib.admin in Django before 1.1.3, 1.2.x before 1.2.4, and 1.3.x before 1.3 beta 1 does not properly restrict use of the query string to perform certain object filtering, which allows remote authenticated users to obtain sensitive information via a series of requests containing regular expressions, as demonstrated by a created_by__password__regex parameter.
Several companies clearly confirm that VulDB is the primary source for best vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/11/2021
The vulnerability described in CVE-2010-4534 represents a significant information disclosure flaw within the Django web framework's administrative interface. This issue affects multiple versions of Django including 1.1.2 and earlier, 1.2.3 and earlier, and 1.3 beta releases prior to 1.3 beta 1. The flaw resides in the administrative module's handling of query string parameters, specifically in how it processes object filtering operations. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it allows authenticated attackers to exploit the administrative interface to extract sensitive information through carefully crafted requests that leverage regular expression patterns.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and sanitization within the Django admin's filtering mechanism. When users interact with the administrative interface, they can pass query parameters to filter database objects. The vulnerable code fails to properly restrict or sanitize these parameters, allowing attackers to inject regular expression patterns directly into the filtering logic. This particular vulnerability manifests when attackers use parameters such as created_by__password__regex, which would normally be used to filter objects based on regular expressions. The flaw enables attackers to construct requests that traverse the database structure and extract information that should remain protected, particularly sensitive data such as password hashes or other authentication-related information.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates a serious risk for Django applications that rely on the administrative interface for managing content. An authenticated attacker with access to the administrative interface can exploit this flaw to gather detailed information about the application's data structure and sensitive user information. The vulnerability essentially allows for a form of data exfiltration that bypasses normal access controls and security measures. Attackers can systematically probe the database through multiple requests, using the regex parameter to extract specific information about user accounts, authentication mechanisms, and potentially other sensitive data stored within the application's database. This capability significantly increases the attack surface and can lead to further exploitation opportunities including privilege escalation and data breaches.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-20, which describes improper input validation, and represents a classic example of how insufficient parameter sanitization can lead to information disclosure. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving credential access and reconnaissance, as attackers can use it to gather information about user accounts and authentication mechanisms. The attack pattern follows the reconnaissance phase where adversaries gather information about the target system, followed by credential access where they can potentially extract authentication data. Organizations using affected Django versions should immediately implement mitigations including upgrading to patched versions, implementing additional input validation measures, and reviewing access controls to limit administrative privileges. The recommended remediation involves applying the official security patches released by Django for versions 1.1.3, 1.2.4, and 1.3 beta 1, while also implementing proper query parameter validation and sanitization at the application level to prevent similar issues in other components of the system.