# CVE-2009-2659: Django Admin Media Handler Vulnerable to Directory Traversal

> Remote attackers can read arbitrary files via crafted URLs in the Django Admin media handler due to improper path mapping.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.0 (`AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:N/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 4 Aug 2009
- **Updated:** 7 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2009-2659, GHSA-9xg7-gg9m-rmq9, PYSEC-2009-3

## What is CVE-2009-2659?

CVE-2009-2659 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in n/a, published on 4 Aug 2009. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

The Admin media handler in core/servers/basehttp.py in Django 1.0 and 0.96 does not properly map URL requests to expected "static media files," which allows remote attackers to conduct directory traversal attacks and read arbitrary files via a crafted URL.

Weakness: CWE-22 (Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2009-2659?

5 open source packages ship an affected version, including django and Django. It affects 1 product.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `django` | PyPI | All versions | 1.1 |
| `django` | PyPI | From 0.96.0 | 0.96.4 |
| `django` | PyPI | From 1.0 | 1.0.3 |
| `Django` | PyPI | From 0.96.0 | 0.96.4 |
| `Django` | PyPI | From 1.0 | 1.0.3 |

Products: Django Project Django.

## How do I fix CVE-2009-2659?

Upgrade django to a fixed version for your release line: 1.1, 0.96.4 or 1.0.3.

## Is CVE-2009-2659 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2009-2659 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in n/a

- [CVE-2007-0404](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2007-0404/): Django Arbitrary Code Execution (high 7.5)
- [CVE-2007-5828](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2007-5828/): Cross-site request forgery in n/a (medium 6.8)
- [CVE-2007-0405](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2007-0405/): Django Improper Access Control (medium 6.5)
- [CVE-2008-2302](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2008-2302/): Django Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability (medium 4.3)
- [CVE-2007-5712](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2007-5712/): Django vulnerable to Denial of Service via i18n middleware component (low 2.6)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2009-2659 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2009-2659 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in n/a, published on 4 Aug 2009. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2009-2659 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- django (PyPI): affected all versions; fixed in 1.1
- django (PyPI): affected from 0.96.0; fixed in 0.96.4
- django (PyPI): affected from 1.0; fixed in 1.0.3
- Django (PyPI): affected from 0.96.0; fixed in 0.96.4
- Django (PyPI): affected from 1.0; fixed in 1.0.3

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2009-2659/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2009-2659/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2009-2659
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2009-2659
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2009-2659

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2009-2659/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.