CVE-2026-59962 in Tandoor Recipes
Summary
by MITRE • 10/16/2026
Tandoor Recipes is an application for managing recipes, planning meals, and building shopping lists. Prior to 2.6.10, passes unvalidated sort_order and order_field strings into Django ORM order_by() calls when an authenticated user supplies foreign-key traversal paths in recipe search, RecipeBook, or stored CustomFilter ordering values. Request processing uses _finalize_ordering and order_by through 8080/api/recipe/ and 8080/api/recipe-book/. The attack works because Django interprets double-underscore ordering fields as related-table traversal, and observable result ordering leaks values from related User fields. This can infer password hashes, email addresses, administrator status, and other related database values. This issue is fixed in version 2.6.10.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/16/2026
The vulnerability identified in Tandoor Recipes prior to version 2.6.10 represents a critical information disclosure flaw rooted in improper input validation within the application's ordering mechanisms. As an open-source platform for managing recipes, meal planning, and shopping lists, Tandoor relies heavily on Django’s Object-Relational Mapping (ORM) capabilities to handle data retrieval and presentation. The core technical deficiency lies in how the application processes sort_order and order_field parameters supplied by authenticated users during recipe searches, RecipeBook interactions, or when utilizing stored CustomFilter ordering values. Instead of sanitizing these inputs against a predefined whitelist of allowed fields, the system passes them directly into Django’s ORM order_by() function via internal methods such as _finalize_ordering. This architectural oversight allows an attacker to manipulate the SQL query structure by exploiting Django's support for double-underscore notation in field names, which is designed to facilitate foreign-key traversal across related database tables.
From a technical perspective, this flaw enables what is known as an Insecure Direct Object Reference or more specifically, a blind data exfiltration through ordered results. When an authenticated user specifies an ordering parameter that includes a double-underscore path leading to a related table, Django interprets this as a request to join and sort by fields in that related entity. In the context of Tandoor Recipes, the recipe and book models are linked to the User model. By carefully constructing order_by clauses that traverse these relationships, an attacker can force the database to return results sorted by sensitive user attributes such as password hashes, email addresses, or boolean flags indicating administrator status. Although this is not a direct injection attack that modifies data, it constitutes a severe confidentiality breach because the application logic inadvertently leaks internal state information through observable differences in result ordering and pagination behavior.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant for any deployment where user privacy and security are paramount. An attacker with valid credentials can systematically enumerate sensitive attributes by observing how search results or list views change when different traversal paths are applied to the order_by parameter. For instance, sorting by a password hash field might cause records to appear in an order that reveals patterns consistent with specific cryptographic outputs, allowing for potential offline cracking attempts if combined with other data leaks. Similarly, inferring administrator status through boolean field ordering can aid attackers in identifying high-value targets within the system. This aligns closely with CWE-209, which describes the generation of error messages containing sensitive information, and CWE-613, concerning insufficient session expiration or management that allows prolonged exploitation windows. Furthermore, this technique maps to MITRE ATT&CK techniques related to Data from Information Repositories, specifically leveraging application logic to extract data without direct database access tools.
Mitigation for this vulnerability requires strict input validation on all user-supplied ordering parameters. The recommended fix involves implementing a whitelist approach where only specific, safe field names are permitted in the order_by clause. Any attempt to use double-underscore notation or fields not explicitly listed should be rejected with an appropriate error message that does not reveal internal structure. Additionally, developers should audit other endpoints for similar patterns of unsanitized input being passed directly into ORM methods. Upgrading to version 2.6.10 is the primary remediation step as it addresses these validation gaps by restricting traversal paths and ensuring that only intended fields are used for sorting operations. Organizations running older versions must prioritize this update immediately to prevent further exploitation, especially in multi-tenant environments where one user’s actions could potentially impact data visibility for others or expose administrative credentials through systematic enumeration.