Summary
Scrapy cookie-setting is not restricted based on the public suffix list
Workarounds
The only workaround for unpatched versions of Scrapy is to disable cookies altogether, or limit target domains to a subset that does not include domain names with one of the public domain suffixes affected (those with 1 or more periods).
References
For more information
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Impact
Responses from domain names whose public domain name suffix contains 1 or more periods (e.g. responses from example.co.uk, given its public domain name suffix is co.uk) are able to set cookies that are included in requests to any other domain sharing the same domain name suffix.
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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Upgrade to Scrapy 2.6.0, which restricts cookies with their domain set to any of those in the public suffix list.
If you are using Scrapy 1.8 or a lower version, and upgrading to Scrapy 2.6.0 is not an option, you may upgrade to Scrapy 1.8.2 instead.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is GHSA-MFJM-VH54-3F96? GHSA-MFJM-VH54-3F96 is a medium-severity security vulnerability in scrapy (pip), affecting versions < 1.8.2. It is fixed in 1.8.2, 2.6.0.
- Which versions of scrapy are affected by GHSA-MFJM-VH54-3F96? scrapy (pip) versions < 1.8.2 is affected.
- Is there a fix for GHSA-MFJM-VH54-3F96? Yes. GHSA-MFJM-VH54-3F96 is fixed in 1.8.2, 2.6.0. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is GHSA-MFJM-VH54-3F96 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether GHSA-MFJM-VH54-3F96 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-MFJM-VH54-3F96 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-MFJM-VH54-3F96?
- Upgrade
scrapyto 1.8.2 or later - Upgrade
scrapyto 2.6.0 or later
- Upgrade