Scrapy HTTP authentication credentials potentially leaked to target websites
Impact
If you use HttpAuthMiddleware (i.e. the http_user and http_pass spider attributes) for HTTP authentication, all requests will expose your credentials to the request target.
This includes requests generated by Scrapy components, such as robots.txt requests sent by Scrapy when the ROBOTSTXT_OBEY setting is set to True, or as requests reached through redirects.
Patches
Upgrade to Scrapy 2.5.1 and use the new http_auth_domain spider attribute to control which domains are allowed to receive the configured HTTP authentication credentials.
If you are using Scrapy 1.8 or a lower version, and upgrading to Scrapy 2.5.1 is not an option, you may upgrade to Scrapy 1.8.1 instead.
Workarounds
If you cannot upgrade, set your HTTP authentication credentials on a per-request basis, using for example the w3lib.http.basic_auth_header function to convert your credentials into a value that you can assign to the Authorization header of your request, instead of defining your credentials globally using HttpAuthMiddleware.
For more information
If you have any questions or comments about this advisory:
Affected software
Click a technology to see all vulnerabilities affecting it.
| Platform | Package | Vulnerable versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Python (PyPI) | scrapy | < 1.8.1, >= 2.0.0, < 2.5.1 | 1.8.1, 2.5.1 |
References
- https://github.com/scrapy/scrapy/commit/b01d69a1bf48060daec8f751368622352d8b85a6
- https://w3lib.readthedocs.io/en/latest/w3lib.html#w3lib.http.basic_auth_header
- https://github.com/scrapy/scrapy/security/advisories/GHSA-jwqp-28gf-p498
- http://doc.scrapy.org/en/latest/topics/downloader-middleware.html#module-scrapy.downloadermiddlewares.httpauth
- https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-41125
- https://github.com/pypa/advisory-database/tree/main/vulns/scrapy/PYSEC-2021-363.yaml
- https://github.com/scrapy/scrapy
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2022/03/msg00021.html
- CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N- Weakness (CWE)
CWE-200, CWE-522- Platform
- Python (PyPI)
- Package
scrapy- Disclosed
- 06.10.2021
- Updated
- 11.10.2026 13:19
Sources and licenses
OSV / GitHub Advisory Database - PYSEC-2021-363 - PyPA Advisory Database; CC BY 4.0
OSV / GitHub Advisory Database - GHSA-jwqp-28gf-p498 - CC BY 4.0
Vulnerability history: scrapy
All published vulnerabilities of this package (Python (PyPI)), newest first. Shows whether this is a one-off slip or a package that needs watching.
- Total entries
- 14
- First → latest
- 09.2017 09.2026
- Without a fix
- 1
- Exploited in attacks
- 0
Severity breakdown
- High 6
- Medium 8
Disclosures per year
- 2017: 1
- 2018: 0
- 2019: 0
- 2020: 0
- 2021: 1
- 2022: 3
- 2023: 0
- 2024: 6
- 2025: 1
- 2026: 2
-
Scrapy HTTP authentication credentials potentially leaked to target websites this entry
Know which vulnerabilities affect your application
With the DockRay integration and software inventory enabled, DockRay checks reported component versions against known vulnerabilities and notifies you about confirmed matches. Coverage depends on the supported technology and available advisory data.