openedx/openedx-platform

'WSGIRequest' object has no attribute 'user' error in enterprise code

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#37,995 opened on Feb 10, 2026

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 (2 comments) (0 reactions) (0 assignees)Python (4,331 forks)auto 404
help wanted

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Description

This line of enterprise code, is resulting in the error: builtins.AttributeError: 'WSGIRequest' object has no attribute 'user'.

I believe this just needs some simple exception handling to provide the same treatment as is done for an anonymous (not logged in) user, without raising an exception.

  • This should be a relatively quick fix.
  • This may not lead to end user problems, because it may just be happening during 404 processing, but I'm uncertain. It definitely muddies the 404 error details and observability.

Contributor guide

Research direction
Add exception handling for the AttributeError on line 331 to treat the case the same as anonymous user, without raising an exception.
Tech stack
pythondjango
Domain
backend
Issue type
Bug
DifficultyEstimated implementation difficulty for a new contributor, from 1 for very small changes to 5 for expert-level work.
1
Estimated timeA rough time range for an experienced contributor to investigate, implement, test, and prepare a pull request.
Under 1 hour
Activity statusHow available the issue appears right now: fresh, active, stale, blocked, or waiting on maintainer input.
Fresh
ClarityHow clearly the issue explains the expected change, acceptance criteria, and next step.
Clear
Prerequisites
Python
Newbie friendlinessA 1-100 score estimating how approachable this issue is for first-time contributors.
90