CVE-2021-45115

Name: CVE-2021-45115
Creator: NVD / NIST
Published: 2022-01-05T00:15:07.907+00:00
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

HIGHCVSS 7.5/10EPSS 2.40%

Last modified Jun 17, 2026

CVE-2021-45115 is a high-severity vulnerability rated 7.5/10 on the CVSS scale. An issue was discovered in Django 2.2 before 2.2.26, 3.2 before 3.2.11, and 4.0 before 4.0.1. UserAttributeSimilarityValidator incurred significant overhead in evaluating a submitted password that was artificially large in relation to the comparison values. EPSS estimates a 2.40% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

An issue was discovered in Django 2.2 before 2.2.26, 3.2 before 3.2.11, and 4.0 before 4.0.1. UserAttributeSimilarityValidator incurred significant overhead in evaluating a submitted password that was artificially large in relation to the comparison values. In a situation where access to user registration was unrestricted, this provided a potential vector for a denial-of-service attack.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

7.5/10

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

EPSS Probability

2.40%

81.9th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Djangoproject	Django	>= 2.2, < 2.2.26
Djangoproject	Django	>= 3.2, < 3.2.11
Djangoproject	Django	>= 4.0, < 4.0.1
Fedoraproject	Fedora	35

References

https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/4.0/releases/security/Patch, Vendor Advisory
https://groups.google.com/forum/#%21forum/django-announce
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/B4SQG2EAF4WCI2SLRL6XRDJ3RPK3ZRDV/
https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20220121-0005/Third Party Advisory
https://www.djangoproject.com/weblog/2022/jan/04/security-releases/Patch, Vendor Advisory
https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/4.0/releases/security/Patch, Vendor Advisory
https://groups.google.com/forum/#%21forum/django-announce
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/B4SQG2EAF4WCI2SLRL6XRDJ3RPK3ZRDV/
https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20220121-0005/Third Party Advisory
https://www.djangoproject.com/weblog/2022/jan/04/security-releases/Patch, Vendor Advisory

Timeline

Published: Jan 5, 2022
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2021-45115?

How severe is CVE-2021-45115?

CVE-2021-45115 has a CVSS score of 7.5/10 (HIGH severity). The EPSS model estimates a 2.40% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2021-45115?

Check the vendor references and advisories linked above for patched versions and mitigation guidance. You can also run a Strix scan to test if your systems are affected.

Are you affected by CVE-2021-45115?

Run a free Strix scan to check your systems for this vulnerability.

Scan your code now

Source: NVD / NIST