Summary
Workarounds
Replace the built-in retry middlewares (RedirectMiddleware and MetaRefreshMiddleware) and the HttpProxyMiddleware middleware with custom ones that implement the fix from Scrapy 2.11.2, and verify that they work as intended.
References
This security issue was reported by @redapple at https://github.com/scrapy/scrapy/issues/767.
Impact
When using system proxy settings, which are scheme-specific (i.e. specific to http:// or https:// URLs), Scrapy was not accounting for scheme changes during redirects.
For example, an HTTP request would use the proxy configured for HTTP and, when redirected to an HTTPS URL, the new HTTPS request would still use the proxy configured for HTTP instead of switching to the proxy configured for HTTPS. Same the other way around.
If you have different proxy configurations for HTTP and HTTPS in your system for security reasons (e.g., maybe you don’t want one of your proxy providers to be aware of the URLs that you visit with the other one), this would be a security issue.
GHSA-JM3V-QXMH-HXWV has a CVSS score of 4.3 (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 (2.11.2); 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.
Remediation advice
Upgrade to Scrapy 2.11.2.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is GHSA-JM3V-QXMH-HXWV? GHSA-JM3V-QXMH-HXWV is a medium-severity security vulnerability in Scrapy (pip), affecting versions < 2.11.2. It is fixed in 2.11.2.
- How severe is GHSA-JM3V-QXMH-HXWV? GHSA-JM3V-QXMH-HXWV has a CVSS score of 4.3 (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 Scrapy are affected by GHSA-JM3V-QXMH-HXWV? Scrapy (pip) versions < 2.11.2 is affected.
- Is there a fix for GHSA-JM3V-QXMH-HXWV? Yes. GHSA-JM3V-QXMH-HXWV is fixed in 2.11.2. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is GHSA-JM3V-QXMH-HXWV exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether GHSA-JM3V-QXMH-HXWV 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 GHSA-JM3V-QXMH-HXWV 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 GHSA-JM3V-QXMH-HXWV? Upgrade
Scrapyto 2.11.2 or later.