Summary
2FA bypass in Wagtail through new device path
2FA bypass through new device path
Workarounds
There is no workaround at the moment.
For more information
If you have any questions or comments about this advisory:
- Open an issue in github.com/labd/wagtail-2fa
- Email us at [email protected]
Impact
If someone gains access to someone's Wagtail login credentials, they can log into the CMS and bypass the 2FA check by changing the URL. They can then add a new device and gain full access to the CMS.
CVE-2019-16766 has a CVSS score of 8.7 (Medium). The vector is network-reachable, high privileges required, and no user interaction. A CVSS score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether this affects your application depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable in your environment. A fixed version is available (1.3.0); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.
Affected versions
Security releases
Kodem intelligence
Severity tells you how bad this could be in the worst case. It does not tell you whether you are exposed. Exploitability and impact are functions of runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A vulnerable package can sit in your dependency tree and never run.
Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter. Kodem's runtime-powered SCA identifies whether this CVE is reachable in your applications.
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This problem has been patched in version 1.3.0.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2019-16766? CVE-2019-16766 is a medium-severity security vulnerability in wagtail-2fa (pip), affecting versions < 1.3.0. It is fixed in 1.3.0.
- How severe is CVE-2019-16766? CVE-2019-16766 has a CVSS score of 8.7 (Medium). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.
- Which versions of wagtail-2fa are affected by CVE-2019-16766? wagtail-2fa (pip) versions < 1.3.0 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2019-16766? Yes. CVE-2019-16766 is fixed in 1.3.0. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2019-16766 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2019-16766 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
- What actually determines whether CVE-2019-16766 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.
- How do I fix CVE-2019-16766? Upgrade
wagtail-2fato 1.3.0 or later.