CVE-2026-15806

`HTTPPasswordMgr` can send saved HTTPS credentials via HTTP because of incorrect scheme matching

Published Aug 18, 2026 CVSS 4.0 · 6 Medium EPSS < 1% KEV · Not listed
Description
The HTTPPasswordMgr class in the urllib.request module, along with its subclasses HTTPPasswordMgrWithDefaultRealm and HTTPPasswordMgrWithPriorAuth, did not take the URL scheme into account when matching stored credentials against a requested URL. Credentials added for an https:// URL were also used for requests to the same host over http://, so an attacker able to redirect or downgrade a client to plain HTTP (for example, via an HTTPS-to-HTTP redirect or an on-path position) could capture credentials in cleartext. Credentials added for http:// URLs could likewise be sent over https://.

Credential matching is now scoped by URL scheme. Credentials registered with a URL that includes a scheme are only used for requests with the same scheme. Credentials registered with a bare authority (such as example.com or example.com:8080) continue to match any scheme, preserving compatibility with existing code, including proxy authentication.

Users who cannot upgrade immediately can mitigate by ensuring that applications never make plain http:// requests to hosts for which credentials are registered, for example by not following redirects to http:// URLs.

Remediation

No solution or workaround provided in the CVE record

Tracking

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Advisories

Source ID Title
Debian DLA Debian DLA DLA-4827-1 python3.11 security update
History
Type Values Removed Values Added
Metrics ssvc

{'options': {'Automatable': 'no', 'Exploitation': 'poc', 'Technical Impact': 'partial'}, 'version': '2.0.3'}

Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Python
Python cpython
Vendors & Products Python
Python cpython
Type Values Removed Values Added
Description The HTTPPasswordMgr class in the urllib.request module, along with its subclasses HTTPPasswordMgrWithDefaultRealm and HTTPPasswordMgrWithPriorAuth, did not take the URL scheme into account when matching stored credentials against a requested URL. Credentials added for an https:// URL were also used for requests to the same host over http://, so an attacker able to redirect or downgrade a client to plain HTTP (for example, via an HTTPS-to-HTTP redirect or an on-path position) could capture credentials in cleartext. Credentials added for http:// URLs could likewise be sent over https://. Credential matching is now scoped by URL scheme. Credentials registered with a URL that includes a scheme are only used for requests with the same scheme. Credentials registered with a bare authority (such as example.com or example.com:8080) continue to match any scheme, preserving compatibility with existing code, including proxy authentication. Users who cannot upgrade immediately can mitigate by ensuring that applications never make plain http:// requests to hosts for which credentials are registered, for example by not following redirects to http:// URLs.
Title `HTTPPasswordMgr` can send saved HTTPS credentials via HTTP because of incorrect scheme matching
Weaknesses CWE-319
CWE-522
References
Metrics cvssV4_0

{'score': 6, 'vector': 'CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:H/AT:P/PR:N/UI:P/VC:H/VI:N/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N'}

Weaknesses

Sources

Status
PUBLISHED
Assigner
PSF
Published
Updated
Nov 10, 2026, 12:40 PM
Reserved
Jul 15, 2026, 8:49 AM
Status
Awaiting Analysis
Published
Aug 18, 2026, 4:17 PM
Modified
Nov 10, 2026, 1:18 PM