---
id: CVE-2021-32681
aliases:
  - GHSA-xfrw-hxr5-ghqf
  - PYSEC-2021-103
title: Cross-site Scripting in wagtail
summary: Cross-site Scripting in wagtail
severity: medium
cvss: 5.4
cvssVector: 'CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N'
vendor: wagtail
product: wagtail
ecosystem: pip
affected:
  - wagtail < 2.11.8
  - 'wagtail >= 2.12, < 2.12.5'
  - 'wagtail >= 2.13, < 2.13.2'
patched:
  - wagtail 2.11.8
  - wagtail 2.12.5
  - wagtail 2.13.2
published: '2021-06-17'
updated: '2026-07-08'
source: OSV
sourceUrl: 'https://osv.dev/vulnerability/GHSA-xfrw-hxr5-ghqf'
references:
  - url: 'https://github.com/wagtail/wagtail/security/advisories/GHSA-xfrw-hxr5-ghqf'
  - url: 'https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-32681'
  - url: >-
      https://github.com/pypa/advisory-database/tree/main/vulns/wagtail/PYSEC-2021-103.yaml
  - url: 'https://github.com/wagtail/wagtail'
  - url: 'https://github.com/wagtail/wagtail/releases/tag/v2.11.8'
  - url: 'https://github.com/wagtail/wagtail/releases/tag/v2.12.5'
  - url: 'https://github.com/wagtail/wagtail/releases/tag/v2.13.2'
tags:
  - osv
  - pip
epss: 0.01109
epssPercentile: 0.64463
ingestedAt: '2026-07-08T18:25:54.176Z'
---

## Overview

### Impact
When the `{% include_block %}` template tag is used to output the value of a plain-text StreamField block (`CharBlock`, `TextBlock` or a similar user-defined block derived from `FieldBlock`), and that block does not specify a template for rendering, the tag output is not properly escaped as HTML. This could allow users to insert arbitrary HTML or scripting. This vulnerability is only exploitable by users with the ability to author StreamField content (i.e. users with 'editor' access to the Wagtail admin).

### Patches
Patched versions have been released as Wagtail 2.11.8 (for the LTS 2.11 branch), Wagtail 2.12.5, and Wagtail 2.13.2 (for the current 2.13 branch).

Site implementors who wish to retain the existing behaviour of allowing editors to insert HTML content in these blocks (and are willing to accept the risk of untrusted editors inserting arbitrary code) may disable the escaping by surrounding the relevant `{% include_block %}` tag in `{% autoescape off %}...{% endautoescape %}`.

### Workarounds
Site implementors who are unable to upgrade to a current supported version should audit their use of `{% include_block %}` to ensure it is not used to output `CharBlock` / `TextBlock` values with no associated template. Note that this only applies where `{% include_block %}` is used directly on that block (uses of `include_block` on a block _containing_ a CharBlock / TextBlock, such as a StructBlock, are unaffected). In these cases, the tag can be replaced with Django's `{{ ... }}` syntax - e.g. `{% include_block my_title_block %}` becomes `{{ my_title_block }}`.

### Acknowledgements
Many thanks to Karen Tracey for reporting this issue.

### For more information
If you have any questions or comments about this advisory:

* Visit Wagtail's [support channels](https://docs.wagtail.io/en/stable/support.html)
* Email us at security@wagtail.io (if you wish to send encrypted email, the public key ID is `0x6ba1e1a86e0f8ce8`)

## Affected packages

- `wagtail < 2.11.8`
- `wagtail >= 2.12, < 2.12.5`
- `wagtail >= 2.13, < 2.13.2`

## Remediation

Upgrade to a patched release:

- `wagtail 2.11.8`
- `wagtail 2.12.5`
- `wagtail 2.13.2`