[1.8.x] Fixed #19324 -- Avoided creating a session record when loading the session.

The session record is now only created if/when the session is modified. This
prevents a potential DoS via creation of many empty session records.

This is a security fix; disclosure to follow shortly.

4 files changed, 12 insertions, 8 deletions

diff --git a/django/contrib/sessions/backends/cache.py b/django/contrib/sessions/backends/cache.py
index 38b6112f51..5bc4dc1f8d 100644
--- a/django/contrib/sessions/backends/cache.py
+++ b/django/contrib/sessions/backends/cache.py
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ class SessionStore(SessionBase):
             session_data = None
         if session_data is not None:
             return session_data
-        self.create()
+        self._session_key = None
         return {}
 
     def create(self):
@@ -49,6 +49,8 @@ class SessionStore(SessionBase):
             "It is likely that the cache is unavailable.")
 
     def save(self, must_create=False):
+        if self.session_key is None:
+            return self.create()
         if must_create:
             func = self._cache.add
         else:
@@ -60,7 +62,7 @@ class SessionStore(SessionBase):
             raise CreateError
 
     def exists(self, session_key):
-        return (KEY_PREFIX + session_key) in self._cache
+        return session_key and (KEY_PREFIX + session_key) in self._cache
 
     def delete(self, session_key=None):
         if session_key is None:
diff --git a/django/contrib/sessions/backends/cached_db.py b/django/contrib/sessions/backends/cached_db.py
index 0ba12f553f..435806595d 100644
--- a/django/contrib/sessions/backends/cached_db.py
+++ b/django/contrib/sessions/backends/cached_db.py
@@ -51,12 +51,12 @@ class SessionStore(DBStore):
                     logger = logging.getLogger('django.security.%s' %
                             e.__class__.__name__)
                     logger.warning(force_text(e))
-                self.create()
+                self._session_key = None
                 data = {}
         return data
 
     def exists(self, session_key):
-        if (KEY_PREFIX + session_key) in self._cache:
+        if session_key and (KEY_PREFIX + session_key) in self._cache:
             return True
         return super(SessionStore, self).exists(session_key)
 
diff --git a/django/contrib/sessions/backends/db.py b/django/contrib/sessions/backends/db.py
index 450459108e..2d859d3b83 100644
--- a/django/contrib/sessions/backends/db.py
+++ b/django/contrib/sessions/backends/db.py
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ class SessionStore(SessionBase):
                 logger = logging.getLogger('django.security.%s' %
                         e.__class__.__name__)
                 logger.warning(force_text(e))
-            self.create()
+            self._session_key = None
             return {}
 
     def exists(self, session_key):
@@ -43,7 +43,6 @@ class SessionStore(SessionBase):
                 # Key wasn't unique. Try again.
                 continue
             self.modified = True
-            self._session_cache = {}
             return
 
     def save(self, must_create=False):
@@ -53,6 +52,8 @@ class SessionStore(SessionBase):
         create a *new* entry (as opposed to possibly updating an existing
         entry).
         """
+        if self.session_key is None:
+            return self.create()
         obj = Session(
             session_key=self._get_or_create_session_key(),
             session_data=self.encode(self._get_session(no_load=must_create)),
diff --git a/django/contrib/sessions/backends/file.py b/django/contrib/sessions/backends/file.py
index 10d163acc4..41469c4a26 100644
--- a/django/contrib/sessions/backends/file.py
+++ b/django/contrib/sessions/backends/file.py
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ class SessionStore(SessionBase):
                     self.delete()
                     self.create()
         except (IOError, SuspiciousOperation):
-            self.create()
+            self._session_key = None
         return session_data
 
     def create(self):
@@ -108,10 +108,11 @@ class SessionStore(SessionBase):
             except CreateError:
                 continue
             self.modified = True
-            self._session_cache = {}
             return
 
     def save(self, must_create=False):
+        if self.session_key is None:
+            return self.create()
         # Get the session data now, before we start messing
         # with the file it is stored within.
         session_data = self._get_session(no_load=must_create)