What is CVE-2026-54553?

CVE-2026-54553 is a medium-severity security vulnerability in starlette-admin (pip), affecting versions <= 0.16.0. It is fixed in 0.16.1.

How severe is CVE-2026-54553?

CVE-2026-54553 has a CVSS score of 5.4 (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 starlette-admin are affected by CVE-2026-54553?

starlette-admin (pip) versions <= 0.16.0 is affected.

Is there a fix for CVE-2026-54553?

Yes. CVE-2026-54553 is fixed in 0.16.1. Upgrade to this version or later.

Is CVE-2026-54553 exploitable, and should I be worried?

Whether CVE-2026-54553 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.

What actually determines whether CVE-2026-54553 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.

CVE-2026-54553 in starlette-admin

Q: How severe is CVE-2026-54553?

CVE-2026-54553 has a CVSS score of 5.4 (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.

Q: Which versions of starlette-admin are affected by CVE-2026-54553?

starlette-admin (pip) versions <= 0.16.0 is affected.

Q: Is there a fix for CVE-2026-54553?

Yes. CVE-2026-54553 is fixed in 0.16.1. Upgrade to this version or later.

Q: Is CVE-2026-54553 exploitable, and should I be worried?

Whether CVE-2026-54553 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.

Q: What actually determines whether CVE-2026-54553 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.

Q: How do I fix CVE-2026-54553?

Upgrade starlette-admin to 0.16.1 or later.

Summary

Starlette-Admin's unvalidated order_by parameter allows ordering by hidden columns (info-exposure oracle) and HTTP 500 DoS

Affected versions of Starlette-Admin prior to 0.16.1 do not properly validate user-supplied sort and search parameters against the configured field allowlists. While the administrative UI restricts available fields based on field configuration, the backend accepts arbitrary field names supplied through API requests.

An authenticated user can submit crafted requests to sort or filter records using fields that are not intended to be searchable or sortable. Additionally, supplying invalid field names or special Python attribute names can trigger unhandled exceptions that result in HTTP 500 responses.

Affected Versions

All versions before 0.16.1.

Patched Versions

0.16.1

Workarounds

There are no known workarounds. Users should upgrade to version 0.16.1 or later.

Impact

An authenticated user with access to affected list endpoints may:

Bypass intended UI restrictions and perform sorting or filtering on fields that are not configured as searchable or sortable.
Cause affected API requests to fail with HTTP 500 responses by supplying invalid field names or special Python attribute names such as metadata or __class__.

This vulnerability may result in unauthorized use of query functionality and limited denial-of-service conditions affecting the targeted endpoint.

CVE-2026-54553 has a CVSS score of 5.4 (Medium). The vector is network-reachable, low 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 (0.16.1); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Affected versions

starlette-admin (<= 0.16.0)

Security releases

starlette-admin → 0.16.1 (pip)

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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Remediation advice

Upgrade starlette-admin to 0.16.1 or later to resolve this vulnerability.

Kodem Kai can prioritize this vulnerability in your dependency tree and generate a fix recommendation.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-54553? CVE-2026-54553 is a medium-severity security vulnerability in starlette-admin (pip), affecting versions <= 0.16.0. It is fixed in 0.16.1.
How severe is CVE-2026-54553? CVE-2026-54553 has a CVSS score of 5.4 (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 starlette-admin are affected by CVE-2026-54553? starlette-admin (pip) versions <= 0.16.0 is affected.
Is there a fix for CVE-2026-54553? Yes. CVE-2026-54553 is fixed in 0.16.1. Upgrade to this version or later.
Is CVE-2026-54553 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2026-54553 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-2026-54553 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-2026-54553? Upgrade starlette-admin to 0.16.1 or later.