---
id: CVE-2026-57178
title: Python Social Auth is a social authentication/registration mechanism
summary: >-
  Python Social Auth is a social authentication/registration mechanism. Prior to
  version 5.0.0, the `vk-app` backend accepted VK application callback data
  without verifying the callback signature when the `auth_key` parameter was
  omitted. …
severity: high
cvss: 7.4
cvssVector: 'CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N'
cwe:
  - CWE-287
  - CWE-347
vendor: python-social-auth
product: social-core
affected:
  - social-core < 5.0.0
published: '2026-09-24'
updated: '2026-09-24'
sourceUpdated: '2026-09-24T18:17:14.970'
source: NVD
sourceUrl: 'https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-57178'
references:
  - url: >-
      https://github.com/python-social-auth/social-core/security/advisories/GHSA-3c93-f73f-qc9h
    label: security-advisories@github.com
  - url: 'https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-57178'
  - url: 'https://github.com/python-social-auth/social-core/pull/1811'
  - url: >-
      https://github.com/python-social-auth/social-core/commit/1bfacdd0379e5eb46e169a99ab648b835e9bb6a2
  - url: 'https://github.com/python-social-auth/social-core/releases/tag/5.0.0'
  - url: 'https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-3c93-f73f-qc9h'
  - url: 'https://github.com/python-social-auth/social-core'
  - url: >-
      https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2026/cve-2026-57178.json
  - url: 'https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-57178'
  - url: 'https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2540600'
  - url: 'https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-57178'
tags:
  - nvd
  - cve.org
  - ghsa
  - pip
  - osv
  - csaf
  - vex
  - red-hat
ingestedAt: '2026-09-24T17:48:30.406Z'
aliases:
  - GHSA-3c93-f73f-qc9h
ecosystem: pip
patched:
  - social-auth-core 5.0.0
---

## Overview

Python Social Auth is a social authentication/registration mechanism. Prior to version 5.0.0, the `vk-app` backend accepted VK application callback data without verifying the callback signature when the `auth_key` parameter was omitted. Applications using this backend could treat unsigned attacker-controlled data as a verified VK identity. An attacker could choose callback fields such as `viewer_id`, `access_token`, `api_id`, and `api_result`, potentially allowing authentication as an arbitrary VK user ID. The issue affects only applications using the `vk-app` backend. The issue has been fixed in version 5.0.0 by requiring `auth_key` to be present and valid before callback data is trusted.

## Remediation

Refer to the linked advisories for vendor-supplied fixes and affected version ranges.

## Package advisory (CVE-2026-57178)

Affected packages:

- `social-auth-core < 5.0.0`

Patched in:

- `social-auth-core 5.0.0`

Source: https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-3c93-f73f-qc9h

## Vendor advisories

- **Red Hat VEX** · Important · affected: Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform 2 · no fix planned: Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform 2 · updated 2026-09-24 · [vex](https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2026/cve-2026-57178.json)