CVE-2022-24857 is a vulnerability classified under CWE-287 (Improper Authentication) affecting the django-mfa3 library, a multi-factor authentication (MFA) implementation for the Django web framework. The vulnerability arises because django-mfa3 modifies the standard Django login view to enforce MFA but does not modify the separate login view used by Django's admin interface. Consequently, if an organization uses django-mfa3 versions prior to 0.5.0 alongside Django's built-in admin module (django.contrib.admin), an attacker can bypass MFA by directly accessing the admin login view, which remains unprotected by MFA controls. This bypass allows unauthorized users to attempt authentication without the additional security layer provided by MFA. The issue is specifically relevant when no other protective measures are in place to restrict access to the admin login endpoint. The vulnerability was publicly disclosed on April 15, 2022, and fixed in django-mfa3 version 0.5.0. A temporary mitigation involves overriding the admin login route to redirect to the standard login page, ensuring MFA enforcement. No known exploits have been reported in the wild to date. The vulnerability impacts the confidentiality and integrity of systems by potentially allowing unauthorized access to administrative interfaces, which could lead to privilege escalation and further compromise.

For European organizations using Django web applications with django-mfa3 versions below 0.5.0 and the admin module enabled, this vulnerability poses a significant risk. Unauthorized access to the Django admin interface can lead to full control over the web application, including data manipulation, user account control, and deployment of malicious code. This undermines the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the affected systems. Given the widespread use of Django in various sectors such as government, finance, healthcare, and e-commerce across Europe, exploitation could result in data breaches, service disruptions, and reputational damage. The bypass of MFA reduces the effectiveness of a critical security control, increasing the likelihood of successful credential-based attacks. Organizations that rely heavily on Django admin for backend management without additional access controls are particularly vulnerable. However, the absence of known active exploits and the availability of a fix reduce the immediate threat level if timely patching or mitigations are applied.

1. Upgrade django-mfa3 to version 0.5.0 or later immediately to ensure the admin login view is protected by MFA. 2. If upgrading is not immediately feasible, implement a temporary workaround by overriding the admin login URL to redirect to the standard login page where MFA is enforced, for example, by adding a URL pattern like url('admin/login/', lambda request: redirect(settings.LOGIN_URL)) before the admin routes in the URL configuration. 3. Restrict access to the Django admin interface using network-level controls such as IP whitelisting, VPN access, or firewall rules to limit exposure. 4. Implement additional authentication layers such as HTTP Basic Auth or client certificate authentication on the admin endpoint. 5. Monitor authentication logs for unusual access patterns or repeated failed login attempts on the admin interface. 6. Educate developers and administrators about this vulnerability to ensure awareness and prompt remediation. 7. Regularly audit Django applications to verify that all authentication endpoints are uniformly protected by MFA and other security controls.