Description
Waitress is a Web Server Gateway Interface server for Python 2 and 3. When using Waitress versions 2.1.0 and prior behind a proxy that does not properly validate the incoming HTTP request matches the RFC7230 standard, Waitress and the frontend proxy may disagree on where one request starts and where it ends. This would allow requests to be smuggled via the front-end proxy to waitress and later behavior. There are two classes of vulnerability that may lead to request smuggling that are addressed by this advisory: The use of Python's `int()` to parse strings into integers, leading to `+10` to be parsed as `10`, or `0x01` to be parsed as `1`, where as the standard specifies that the string should contain only digits or hex digits; and Waitress does not support chunk extensions, however it was discarding them without validating that they did not contain illegal characters. This vulnerability has been patched in Waitress 2.1.1. A workaround is available. When deploying a proxy in front of waitress, turning on any and all functionality to make sure that the request matches the RFC7230 standard. Certain proxy servers may not have this functionality though and users are encouraged to upgrade to the latest version of waitress instead.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pylons | waitress | < 2.1.1 | — |
Fixed in Linux distributions
Distributions backport fixes, so the version that fixes this vulnerability differs per release — upgrade to at least the version shown. From the distributions' security trackers and advisories.
Debian
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian 14 | waitress | 2.1.1-1 | — |
| Debian 13 | waitress | 2.1.1-1 | — |
| Debian 12 | waitress | 2.1.1-1 | — |
| Debian 11 | waitress | 1.4.4-1.1+deb11u1 | DSA-5138-1 |
| Debian 10 | waitress | 1.2.0~b2-2+deb10u1 | DSA-5138-1 |
Show 1 more (older releases, extended support, other products)Fewer releases
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian 9 | waitress | 1.0.1-1+deb9u1 | DLA-3000-1 |
Ubuntu
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | waitress | 1.4.4-1.1ubuntu1 | — |
| Ubuntu 20.04 LTS | waitress | 1.4.1-1ubuntu0.1 | USN-5364-1 |
Red Hat
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red Hat OpenStack 16 | python-waitress +1 | 2.0.0-1.el8ost | RHSA-2022:1254, RHSA-2022:1253 |
| Red Hat OpenStack 13 | python-waitress +1 | 1.4.4-2.el7ost | RHSA-2022:1264 |
SUSE
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| SLES 15 SP4 | python-waitress | 1.4.3-150000.3.6.1 | SUSE-SU-2022:3731-1 |
| SLES 15 SP3 | python-waitress | 1.4.3-150000.3.6.1 | SUSE-SU-2022:3731-1 |
| SLES 15 SP2 | python-waitress | 1.4.3-150000.3.6.1 | SUSE-SU-2022:3731-1 |
| SLES 15 SP1 | python-waitress | 1.4.3-150000.3.6.1 | SUSE-SU-2022:3731-1 |
| SLES 15 | python-waitress | 1.4.3-150000.3.6.1 | SUSE-SU-2022:3731-1 |
Show 16 more (older releases, extended support, other products)Fewer releases
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| SLES for SAP 15 SP2 | python-waitress | 1.4.3-150000.3.6.1 | SUSE-SU-2022:3731-1 |
| SLES for SAP 15 SP1 | python-waitress | 1.4.3-150000.3.6.1 | SUSE-SU-2022:3731-1 |
| SLES for SAP 15 | python-waitress | 1.4.3-150000.3.6.1 | SUSE-SU-2022:3731-1 |
| SLE HPC 15 SP2 | python-waitress | 1.4.3-150000.3.6.1 | SUSE-SU-2022:3731-1 |
| SLE HPC 15 SP1 | python-waitress | 1.4.3-150000.3.6.1 | SUSE-SU-2022:3731-1 |
| SLE HPC 15 | python-waitress | 1.4.3-150000.3.6.1 | SUSE-SU-2022:3731-1 |
| SUSE OpenStack Cloud Crowbar 9 | python-waitress | 1.4.3-3.6.1 | SUSE-SU-2022:3583-1 |
| SUSE OpenStack Cloud Crowbar 8 | python-waitress | 1.4.3-3.6.1 | SUSE-SU-2022:3635-1 |
| SUSE OpenStack Cloud 9 | python-waitress | 1.4.3-3.6.1 | SUSE-SU-2022:3583-1 |
| SUSE OpenStack Cloud 8 | python-waitress | 1.4.3-3.6.1 | SUSE-SU-2022:3635-1 |
| SUSE Manager Server 4.1 | python-waitress | 1.4.3-150000.3.6.1 | SUSE-SU-2022:3731-1 |
| SUSE Manager Retail Branch Server 4.1 | python-waitress | 1.4.3-150000.3.6.1 | SUSE-SU-2022:3731-1 |
| SUSE Manager Proxy 4.1 | python-waitress | 1.4.3-150000.3.6.1 | SUSE-SU-2022:3731-1 |
| SUSE HPE Helion OpenStack 8 | python-waitress | 1.4.3-3.6.1 | SUSE-SU-2022:3635-1 |
| SUSE Enterprise Storage 7 | python-waitress | 1.4.3-150000.3.6.1 | SUSE-SU-2022:3731-1 |
| SUSE Enterprise Storage 6 | python-waitress | 1.4.3-150000.3.6.1 | SUSE-SU-2022:3731-1 |
openSUSE
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| openSUSE Tumbleweed | python-waitress | 3.0.2-1.4 | openSUSE-SU-2025:15108-1 |
| openSUSE Leap 15.4 | python-waitress | 1.4.3-150000.3.6.1 | SUSE-SU-2022:3731-1 |
| openSUSE Leap 15.3 | python-waitress | 1.4.3-150000.3.6.1 | SUSE-SU-2022:3731-1 |
Azure Linux
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Azure Linux 3 | python-waitress | 3.0.1-1 | — |
| Azure Linux 2 (CBL-Mariner) | python-waitress | No fix yet | — |
Affected packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Affected | Fixed | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PyPI | waitress | < 2.1.1 | 2.1.1 | GHSA-4f7p-27jc-3c36 |
Advisories 11
- RHSA-2022:1264 Red Hat Security Advisory: Red Hat OpenStack Platform 13.0 (python-waitress) security update Red Hat Security Advisories (RHSA) · Jul 3, 2026
- RHSA-2022:1253 Red Hat Security Advisory: Red Hat OpenStack Platform 16.2 (python-waitress) security update Red Hat Security Advisories (RHSA) · Jul 3, 2026
- RHSA-2022:1254 Red Hat Security Advisory: Red Hat OpenStack Platform 16.1 (python-waitress) security update Red Hat Security Advisories (RHSA) · Jul 3, 2026
- DSA-5138-1 waitress - security update Debian Security (DSA / DLA) · Mar 9, 2026
- DLA-3000-1 waitress - security update Debian Security (DSA / DLA) · Mar 9, 2026
- USN-5364-1 waitress vulnerability Ubuntu Security Notices (USN) · Feb 10, 2026
- SUSE-SU-2022:3583-1 Security update for python-waitress SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Feb 4, 2026
- SUSE-SU-2022:3635-1 Security update for python-waitress SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Feb 4, 2026
- SUSE-SU-2022:3731-1 Security update for python-waitress SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Feb 4, 2026
- openSUSE-SU-2025:15108-1 python311-waitress-3.0.2-1.4 on GA media SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · May 22, 2025
- WID-SEC-2023-2556 Red Hat OpenStack: Schwachstelle ermöglicht Request Smuggling BSI CERT-Bund (WID) · May 18, 2025
References
- https://github.com/Pylons/waitress/security/advisories/GHSA-4f7p-27jc-3c36
- https://github.com/Pylons/waitress/commit/9e0b8c801e4d505c2ffc91b891af4ba48af715e0
- https://github.com/Pylons/waitress/releases/tag/v2.1.1
- [debian-lts-announce] 20220512 [SECURITY] [DLA 3000-1] waitress security update mailing-list
- DSA-5138 vendor-advisory