User passwords are stored in clear text in the Django session

Exploitation

No confirmed exploitation recorded. Patch Next marks exploitation only from CISA KEV.

CVSS 4.0

6.0 · CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:L/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N · score source

EPSS

• CVE-2020-15105: 0.70% estimated exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 53.15 (FIRST EPSS, 2026-11-03). This is a model estimate, not proof of exploitation or customer exposure.

As published by the source; long descriptions are shortened.

Impact django-two-factor-auth versions 1.11 and before store the user's password in clear text in the user session (base64-encoded). The password is stored in the session when the user submits their username and password, and is removed once they complete authentication by entering a two-factor authentication code. This means that the password is stored in clear text in the session for an arbitrary amount of time, and potentially forever if the user begins the login process by entering their username and password, and then leaves before entering their two-factor authentication code. The severity of this issue depends on which type of session storage you have configured: in the worst case, if you're using Django's default database session storage, then users' password are stored in clear text in your database. In the best case, if you're using Django's signed cookie session, then users' passwords are only stored in clear text within their browser's cookie store. In the common case of…

Published by the source

10 Jul 2020, 20:55 UTC

Last modified by the source

10 Sep 2026, 03:48 UTC

Source last checked

26 Oct 2026, 13:17 UTC

1. Revision 3 · amended · 26 Oct 2026

   Amended from ghsa record GHSA-vhr6-pvjm-9qwf

2. Revision 2 · amended · 25 Oct 2026

   Reviewed OSV alias/range/CVSS4 correction; package source scopes and original publication preserved. No customer finding resolved.

3. Revision 1 · created · 24 Oct 2026

   Published from osv record GHSA-vhr6-pvjm-9qwf

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# Patch Next advisory brief: CVE-2020-15105

Advisory: User passwords are stored in clear text in the Django session
IDs: CVE-2020-15105, GHSA-vhr6-pvjm-9qwf
Record: https://patchnext.com/advisories/cve-2020-15105 (revision 3, source checked 26 Oct 2026, 13:17 UTC)
Inventory: none attached. This brief comes from a public page and does not say whether any deployment is affected.
Severity: Medium (CVSS 6.0)
Exploitation: no confirmed exploitation recorded. Patch Next confirms exploitation only from CISA KEV.
Vendor response: Vendor fix available; fixed versions by package: django-two-factor-auth 1.12. A vendor fix does not mean a deployment is fixed.

## Affected components
- PyPI django-two-factor-auth: affected < 1.12; fixed in 1.12

## Suggested inspection (read-only)
- `python -m pip show django-two-factor-auth`: prints the installed version. Run with the environment that serves production active.

## Supported action
Upgrade each affected component to a fixed version on its release line. For a transitive dependency, upgrade the parent package or add an override or constraint, then regenerate the lockfile. Redeploy every environment that ran an affected version.

## Required regression checks
- Run the test suite and a production build.
- Exercise the features that depend on django-two-factor-auth.
- Repeat the inspection and confirm that only fixed versions remain installed.

## Rollback considerations
- Keep the previous lockfile and deployment artifact. Rolling back reinstates the vulnerable version, so apply any documented mitigation while you fix forward.

## Unresolved questions
- Which deployments run an affected version?
- Exploitation status can change. Check again before lowering the priority.
- Mark the work resolved only after the fixed version is verified in production.

## Sources
- Verified: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/GHSA-vhr6-pvjm-9qwf (OSV record GHSA-vhr6-pvjm-9qwf lists affected ranges: PyPI django-two-factor-auth >=0 <1.12 (fixed))
- Verified: https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-vhr6-pvjm-9qwf (GitHub-reviewed advisory GHSA-vhr6-pvjm-9qwf lists affected ranges: PyPI django-two-factor-auth >=0 <1.12)

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