# CVE-2026-42196: django-s3file: Relative path traversal

> Attackers can exploit relative path traversal in django-s3file to load arbitrary files into request context, potentially compromising data confidentiality and integrity.

- **Severity:** Critical 9.9 (`CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:N/SC:H/SI:H/SA:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 12 May 2026
- **Updated:** 13 May 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-67qg-7284-2277, PYSEC-2026-328

## What is CVE-2026-42196?

CVE-2026-42196 is a critical path traversal vulnerability in codingjoe django-s3file, published on 12 May 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

django-s3file is a lightweight file upload input for Django and Amazon S3. Prior to 7.0.2, S3FileMiddleware is vulnerable to relative path traversal attacks, where an attacker can use a modified request to escape pre-signed upload locations and have the Django application load files from random locations into request.FILES. Depending on how files are handled, this may lead to confidentiality and integrity issues. This vulnerability is fixed in 7.0.2.

Weakness: CWE-26 (Path Traversal: '/dir/../filename'), CWE-22 (Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-42196?

3 open source packages ship an affected version, including django-s3file.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `django-s3file` | PyPI | All versions | 7.0.2 |
| `django-s3file` | PyPI | All versions | 7.0.2 |
| `django-s3file` | PyPI | All versions | 7.0.2 |

## How do I fix CVE-2026-42196?

Upgrade django-s3file to 7.0.2 or later.

## Is CVE-2026-42196 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-42196 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-42196 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-42196 is a critical path traversal vulnerability in codingjoe django-s3file, published on 12 May 2026. 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-2026-42196 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- django-s3file (PyPI): affected all versions; fixed in 7.0.2
- django-s3file (PyPI): affected all versions; fixed in 7.0.2
- django-s3file (PyPI): affected all versions; fixed in 7.0.2

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-2026-42196/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-42196/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-42196
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-42196
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-42196

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-42196/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.