Django Smart Dynamic Path ^v1.0.2

Dynamic secret admin URL for Django. Time-based, deterministic, no storage.

Hide your Django admin behind a URL that changes daily/monthly. Only you know the secret phrase to generate the current path.

What it does

Standard Django admin: /admin/ (always the same)

This package: /admin/a1b2c3d4e5f6g7h8/ (changes automatically)

Disclaimer

By using this software, you agree to the full disclaimer terms.

Summary: Software provided "AS IS" without warranty. You assume all risks.

Full legal disclaimer: See DISCLAIMER.md

Installation

pip install django-smart-dynamic-path

Quick start

1. Add to INSTALLED_APPS

INSTALLED_APPS = [
    'django_smart_dynamic_path',
    'django.contrib.admin',
    # ...
]

2. Replace admin URLs in urls.py

from django.urls import path, include

urlpatterns = [
    path('admin/', include('django_smart_dynamic_path.urls')),
]

3. Generate SECRET_KEY from secret phrase (local)

smart-dynamic-path --secret "your secret phrase" --key-only

Copy the output and set as SECRET_KEY in your .env or settings.py.

4. Configure period (optional, in settings.py)

SECRET_ADMIN_PERIOD = 'day'  # day, month, static

5. Get current admin path (server)

python manage.py get_admin_path --full

⚠️ Important Django limitation

Due to Django's URL compilation mechanism, the admin path is calculated once when the server starts. To apply a new path when the period changes (e.g., next day), you need to restart the server.

Automatic restart with cron

# Add to crontab (restart at midnight)
0 0 * * * systemctl restart gunicorn

This is not a bug, but a Django architectural feature.

Django management commands

Template tag

{% load admin_link %}
<a href="{% secret_admin_link %}">Secret Admin</a>

Python API

from django_smart_dynamic_path import get_admin_path, get_admin_url

path = get_admin_path()      # 'a1b2c3d4e5f6g7h8'
url = get_admin_url()        # 'admin/a1b2c3d4e5f6g7h8/'

How it works

SECRET_KEY = SHA256(secret_phrase)                 # 64 hex chars (256 bits)
ADMIN_PATH = SHA256(SECRET_KEY + date)[:16].hex()  # 32 hex chars (128 bits)

• Secret phrase → SECRET_KEY (256 bits)
• SECRET_KEY + current date → admin path (128 bits)
• Path changes automatically based on period (day/month/hour/static)
• Same secret phrase always produces same SECRET_KEY
• Same SECRET_KEY + same date always produces same path

Getting the path locally

git clone https://github.com/smartlegionlab/smart-dynamic-path
cd smart-dynamic-path

python3 -m smart_dynamic_path.cli --secret "my secret phrase"
python3 -m smart_dynamic_path.cli --secret "my secret phrase" --period month --prefix admin --full
python3 -m smart_dynamic_path.cli --secret "my secret phrase" --key-only

Implemented paradigms

1. Pointer‑Based Security

The admin URL is not stored anywhere. It is regenerated on demand from a secret phrase and current time. There is no stored "pointer" — only the ability to compute it.

DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17204738

2. Local Data Regeneration

The exact admin path is computed locally on the developer's machine using only the secret phrase and date, without accessing the server. The server never knows the secret phrase.

DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17264327

3. Position‑Candidate‑Hypothesis (PCH)

Among all possible URL paths (2¹²⁸ candidates), only one specific path generated by the secret phrase is valid at any given time. The hypothesis (which path is valid) is verified through the hash function.

DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17614888

Security

• No additional secrets — uses only Django's existing SECRET_KEY
• Secret phrase exists only in memory, never stored
• 32 hex chars = 2¹²⁸ possible paths (no brute force)
• Time‑based rotation limits exposure window

License

BSD-3-Clause

Author

Alexander Suvorov @smartlegionlab