CVE-2026-71238
Received Received - Intake

DjangoCRM Hardcoded Secret Key and Debug Mode Vulnerabilities

Publication date: 2026-08-05

Last updated on: 2026-08-05

Assigner: 309f9ea4-e3e9-4c6c-b79d-e8eb01244f2c

Description
DjangoCRM ships with its Django SECRET_KEY hardcoded directly in the committed webcrm/settings.py rather than read from an environment variable. Since this key is used for session signing, CSRF token generation, and password reset tokens, anyone who reads the public repository can forge valid session cookies (including for the superadmin account), forge CSRF tokens, and forge password reset tokens, achieving full account takeover. The repository also ships with DEBUG=True as the default, causing error pages to leak database credentials, email credentials, OAuth data, and internal file paths.

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Meta Information

Published
2026-08-05
Last Modified
2026-08-05
Generated
2026-08-06
AI Q&A
2026-08-05
EPSS Evaluated
N/A
NVD
CVE-2026-71238
EUVD
EUVD-2026-53311

Affected Vendors & Products

Showing 2 associated CPEs
Vendor Product Version / Range
django django *
django_crm django_crm From 6.0 (inc) to 3.12.0 (inc)

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE
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KEV
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CWE ID Description
CWE-798 The product contains hard-coded credentials, such as a password or cryptographic key.

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Executive Summary

DjangoCRM has a hardcoded SECRET_KEY in its settings file instead of using an environment variable. This key is used for session signing, CSRF tokens, and password resets. Attackers can exploit this to forge session cookies, CSRF tokens, and password reset links, allowing full account takeover. Additionally, DEBUG mode is enabled by default, exposing sensitive data like database credentials and email settings on error pages.

Detection Guidance

Check if DjangoCRM is installed and verify the webcrm/settings.py file for a hardcoded SECRET_KEY and DEBUG=True. Inspect the repository for exposed credentials or sensitive data leaks in error pages.

Impact Analysis

An attacker could gain full control over accounts, including the superadmin account, by forging session cookies. They could also intercept or manipulate CSRF tokens and password reset requests. Sensitive credentials like database and email details may be exposed through debug error pages, leading to further compromise of the system or data breaches.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability could lead to unauthorized access to personal data, violating GDPR's data protection principles and HIPAA's security requirements. Exposure of database credentials and email settings may result in data breaches, triggering mandatory breach notifications and potential fines under these regulations.

Mitigation Strategies

Regenerate the SECRET_KEY with a cryptographically secure random value and set DEBUG=False. Remove any hardcoded credentials from settings.py and ensure all sensitive data is stored securely. Rotate all session cookies, CSRF tokens, and password reset tokens.

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