An issue was discovered in Django 4.2 before 4.2.25, 5.1 before 5.1.13, and 5.2 before 5.2.7. QuerySet.annotate(), QuerySet.alias(), QuerySet.aggregate(), and QuerySet.extra() are subject to SQL injection in column aliases, when using a suitably crafted dictionary, with dictionary expansion, as the **kwargs passed to these methods (on MySQL and MariaDB).
This vulnerability allows attackers to execute arbitrary SQL queries, potentially leading to unauthorized access to sensitive data. The severity level of 7.1 on the CVSS scale indicates that organizations should address this vulnerability in their priority patch cycle.
Risk to organizations includes exposure of sensitive data and potential data manipulation. As the vulnerability affects multiple versions of Django, organizations using affected versions should prioritize patching immediately.
With no known exploits at this time, the urgency to patch remains high to prevent potential attacks. Organizations are encouraged to follow the vendor's updates and apply the necessary security patches.
Vulnerability Details
The CVE-2025-59681 vulnerability affects Django as follows: An issue was discovered in Django 4.2 before 4.2.25, 5.1 before 5.1.13, and 5.2 before 5.2.7.
The vulnerability is classified under CWE-89 (SQL Injection). The attack vector is network-based, requiring low privileges and no user interaction, making it easier for attackers to exploit.
The vulnerability was published on October 1, 2025, and has been marked as modified since its initial disclosure.
Technical Analysis
The root cause of this vulnerability lies in the improper handling of input passed to the QuerySet methods, which can lead to SQL injection vulnerabilities through column aliases.
The attack vector is network-based, allowing attackers to exploit it remotely without physical access to the system. The attack complexity is rated as high, requiring attackers to create a specifically crafted dictionary to exploit the vulnerability.
The privileges required are low, as attackers do not need to authenticate to exploit this vulnerability. Additionally, no user interaction is required for the attack to succeed.
The confidentiality impact is high, as attackers may gain access to sensitive information. The integrity impact is low, and there is no impact on availability.
Risk & Impact Analysis
Real-world deployment of this vulnerability could lead to significant data breaches, especially for organizations handling sensitive user information.
Organizations must consider the blast radius of potential attacks, which could affect multiple systems utilizing the vulnerable Django versions.
Given the CVSS score of 7.1, organizations should address this vulnerability in their priority patch cycle. Monitoring for unusual database activity should also be a part of the response strategy.
Exploitation Status
Signal | Status |
|---|---|
Known Exploit | No |
Public PoC | No |
Actively Exploited | No |
Ransomware Use | No |
Affected Versions
The affected versions of Django are:
Django 4.2 (all versions before 4.2.25), Django 5.1 (all versions before 5.1.13), and Django 5.2 (all versions before 5.2.7).
Mitigation & Remediation
Organizations should prioritize upgrading to the latest versions of Django to mitigate this vulnerability. Specifically, they should upgrade to Django 4.2.25, 5.1.13, or 5.2.7.
In the event that immediate upgrading is not possible, organizations should explore workarounds such as input validation and escaping of user inputs in any QuerySet methods.
For more in-depth analysis, organizations can refer to the penetration testing services to evaluate their security posture.
Detection Guidance
Organizations should monitor logs for indicators of exploitation, such as unexpected database queries or anomalies in database access patterns.
Behavioral anomalies in application performance may also indicate exploitation attempts.
AppSecure Threat Intelligence Insight
The long-term significance of CVE-2025-59681 lies in its demonstration of how SQL injection vulnerabilities can arise from seemingly innocuous features like dictionary expansion in ORM frameworks.
This case highlights the importance of secure coding practices and the need for thorough testing in development pipelines.
Security teams are encouraged to learn from this vulnerability by incorporating security reviews into their development processes and ensuring regular updates to their frameworks.
For further reading, organizations can explore the following resources: penetration testing methodology, vulnerability management program design, and API penetration testing to enhance their security practices.
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
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