CVE-2023-41050: AccessControl Package Suffers from Information Disclosure Vulnerability
Summary
CVE-2023-41050: Information disclosure in AccessControl. Affects accesscontrol across 3 version ranges.
< 4.4
>= 5.0, < 5.8
>= 6.0, < 6.2
Fixed in 4.4, 5.8 or 6.2, depending on the release line you run. How to fix ↓
Also tracked for
- zope · PyPI
The same CVE-2023-41050 is tracked separately for each ecosystem and vendor. Its fix information is the same; the package and affected versions differ.
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Background
The AccessControl package is a Python library that provides mechanisms for controlling access to objects in a secure manner. It is widely used in applications that require fine-grained security policies to manage user permissions and object access. However, this package has a vulnerability that allows unauthorized access to sensitive information through improper handling of format strings.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability arises from Python's 'format' functionality, which allows an attacker to control the format string and subsequently access objects via attribute access and subscription. This occurs because the vulnerable code uses Python's built-in getattr and getitem functions instead of the restricted variants provided by AccessControl. As a result, sensitive information can be disclosed to untrusted users who are able to execute AccessControl-controlled Python code. The impact of this vulnerability is critical, as it can lead to significant information disclosure.
How To Fix
Latest published version: 7.5.0 as of 23 Oct 2026
pip install --upgrade "accesscontrol==7.5.0"Upgrading to it may include breaking changes; the versions below are the minimum fixed release for this vulnerability.
If you can't move to the latest
The minimum fixed version depends on the release line you run.
-
< 4.44.4pip install --upgrade "accesscontrol==4.4" -
>= 5.0, < 5.85.8pip install --upgrade "accesscontrol==5.8" -
>= 6.0, < 6.26.2pip install --upgrade "accesscontrol==6.2"
Tip — Not sure which release line you're on? Vulert can find the fix for the version you are using. Scan free →
Workaround
There are no known workarounds for this vulnerability. The best course of action is to update to the patched versions as soon as possible.
Conclusion
The CVE-2023-41050 vulnerability in the AccessControl package poses a significant risk of information disclosure due to improper handling of format strings. It is crucial for users to update to the patched versions to protect their applications from potential exploitation.
See every vulnerability recorded for accesscontrol →
FAQ
CVE-2023-41050 is a vulnerability in the AccessControl package that allows for information disclosure through improper handling of format strings.
If your application uses the AccessControl package and allows untrusted users to execute Python code, this vulnerability could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive information.
You should immediately update to one of the patched versions (4.4, 5.8, or 6.2) to mitigate the risk of information disclosure.
No, there are currently no workarounds available. Updating to a patched version is the only solution.
You can use Vulert, which monitors and alerts in real-time for open-source vulnerabilities in your software. You can check if your application is affected by this vulnerability using the Vulert playground without any signup.
References
Related vulnerabilities
Recent vulnerabilities recorded for accesscontrol.
