An attacker injects a malicious payload through a seemingly benign API endpoint, bypassing validation by chaining multiple middleware checks. The next 12 minutes determine whether you isolate the threat or face a full database exfiltration. The initial triage reveals inconsistent request headers and altered response bodies across services — indicators pointing to compromised middleware handling. In modern Django applications, custom django middleware request response manipulation is both a powerful tool and a critical attack surface. Understanding its behavior is not optional; it’s foundational to securing the path every HTTP request and response traverses.
⏱ Minute 0-2 — Stop the Bleed
What’s the difference between old-style and new-style Django middleware?
Can middleware modify the request body?
How do I test custom middleware?
