CVE-2019-14232: Uncontrolled Resource Consumption in Django
Summary
CVE-2019-14232: Django Denial-of-service in django.utils.text.Truncator. Affects django across 3 version ranges.
>= 1.11a1, < 1.11.23
>= 2.1a1, < 2.1.11
>= 2.2a1, < 2.2.4
Fixed in 1.11.23, 2.1.11 or 2.2.4, depending on the release line you run. How to fix ↓
Also tracked for
- py-django · Alpine:v3.10
The same CVE-2019-14232 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
Django is a popular Python web framework that provides a set of tools and libraries for building web applications. It is widely used due to its simplicity, scalability, and security features. However, Django versions 1.11.x before 1.11.23, 2.1.x before 2.1.11, and 2.2.x before 2.2.4 are vulnerable to an uncontrolled resource consumption issue.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability arises from a catastrophic backtracking vulnerability in a regular expression used by the django.utils.text.Truncator class. Specifically, when the chars() and words() methods of Truncator are passed the html=True argument, they become extremely slow in evaluating certain inputs. This vulnerability affects the truncatechars_html and truncatewords_html template filters, which rely on the chars() and words() methods. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability to cause a denial-of-service (DoS) attack by providing specially crafted input that triggers the slow evaluation.
How To Fix
Latest published version: 6.1.2 as of 22 Oct 2026
pip install --upgrade "django==6.1.2"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.
-
>= 1.11a1, < 1.11.231.11.23pip install --upgrade "django==1.11.23" -
>= 2.1a1, < 2.1.112.1.11pip install --upgrade "django==2.1.11" -
>= 2.2a1, < 2.2.42.2.4pip install --upgrade "django==2.2.4"
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Workaround
If upgrading Django is not immediately feasible, a temporary workaround is to avoid using the html=True argument with the chars() and words() methods of Truncator. By omitting this argument, the vulnerability can be mitigated. However, this workaround may affect the functionality of the truncatechars_html and truncatewords_html template filters.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the uncontrolled resource consumption vulnerability in Django versions 1.11.x, 2.1.x, and 2.2.x can be mitigated by upgrading to the fixed versions or by applying the recommended workaround. It is crucial to promptly address this vulnerability to prevent potential denial-of-service attacks. For further assistance and support in vulnerability remediation, please contact DevNack.com.
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FAQ
Django is a Python web framework that simplifies the development of web applications by providing a high-level API and a set of tools and libraries.
Django versions 1.11.x before 1.11.23, 2.1.x before 2.1.11, and 2.2.x before 2.2.4 are affected by this vulnerability.
This vulnerability could be exploited by an attacker to cause a denial-of-service (DoS) attack by providing specially crafted input that triggers the slow evaluation of the chars() and words() methods.
To fix this vulnerability, it is recommended to upgrade to the fixed versions of Django: 1.11.23, 2.1.11, or 2.2.4.
Yes, a temporary workaround is to avoid using the html=True argument with the chars() and words() methods of Truncator.
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