twisted.web has disordered HTTP pipeline response
Twisted is an event-based framework for internet applications. Prior to version 23.10.0rc1, when sending multiple HTTP requests in one TCP packet, twisted.web will process the requests asynchronously without guaranteeing the response order. If one of the endpoints is controlled by an attacker, the attacker can delay the response on purpose to manipulate the response of the second request when a victim launched two requests using HTTP pipeline. Version 23.10.0rc1 contains a patch for this issue.
Details
There's an example faulty program:
from twisted.internet import reactor, endpoints
from twisted.web import server
from twisted.web.proxy import ReverseProxyResource
from twisted.web.resource import Resource
class Second(Resource):
isLeaf = True
def render_GET(self, request):
return b'SECOND\n'
class First(Resource):
isLeaf = True
def render_GET(self, request):
def send_response():
request.write(b'FIRST DELAYED\n')
request.finish()
reactor.callLater(0.5, send_response)
return server.NOT_DONE_YET
root = Resource()
root.putChild(b'second', Second())
root.putChild(b'first', First())
endpoint = endpoints.TCP4ServerEndpoint(reactor, 8080)
endpoint.listen(server.Site(root))
reactor.run()When two requests for /first and /second are sent in the same order, the second request will be responded to first.
echo -en "GET /first HTTP/1.1\r\nHost: a\r\n\r\nGET /second HTTP/1.1\r\nHost: a\r\n\r\n" | nc localhost 8080Affected software
Click a technology to see all vulnerabilities affecting it.
| Platform | Package | Vulnerable versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Python (PyPI) | twisted | < 23.10.0rc1 | 23.10.0rc1 |
References
- https://github.com/twisted/twisted/security/advisories/GHSA-xc8x-vp79-p3wm
- https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-46137
- https://github.com/pypa/advisory-database/tree/main/vulns/twisted/PYSEC-2023-224.yaml
- https://github.com/twisted/twisted
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2024/11/msg00028.html
- CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N- Weakness (CWE)
CWE-444- Platform
- Python (PyPI)
- Package
twisted- Disclosed
- 25.10.2023
- Updated
- 11.10.2026 12:19
Sources and licenses
OSV / GitHub Advisory Database - PYSEC-2023-224 - PyPA Advisory Database; CC BY 4.0
OSV / GitHub Advisory Database - GHSA-xc8x-vp79-p3wm - CC BY 4.0
Vulnerability history: twisted
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
- 17
- First → latest
- 06.2019 10.2026
- Without a fix
- 1
- Exploited in attacks
- 0
Severity breakdown
- Critical 5
- High 4
- Medium 8
Disclosures per year
- 2019: 3
- 2020: 3
- 2021: 0
- 2022: 6
- 2023: 1
- 2024: 2
- 2025: 0
- 2026: 2
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