Skip to main content

ApostropheCMS EUVDEUVD-2026-105207

| CVE-2026-113659 MEDIUM
Cross-site Scripting (XSS) (CWE-79)
2026-10-20 GitHub_M GHSA-m2m5-rw3w-cwmj
6.1
CVSS 3.1 · Vendor: GitHub_M
View

Attack ChainAIDerived

Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain

  1. Access
    Craft malicious query-string link with __proto__ keys
  2. Delivery
    Lure authenticated admin to open the link
  3. Exploit
    parseQuery pollutes browser prototype chain
  4. Execution
    Polluted property reaches unsafe DOM sink
  5. Impact
    Execute script in victim's admin session

Vulnerability Assessment

Weakness
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A05:2025 - Injection
ASVS 5.0
V1 - Encoding and Sanitization Output encoding, context-aware escaping
MITRE ATT&CK

2 techniques across 2 tactics: Initial Access, Execution

The technique list with ATT&CK links and the kill-chain view is part of the Basic plan and up.

Exploitation Conditions

Exploitation requires the victim to be an authenticated ApostropheCMS user whose page loads the admin bundle (editors/administrators), and that victim must open the attacker-supplied crafted link so apos.http.parseQuery processes the hostile query string containing __proto__, constructor, or prototype path keys. The attacker themselves needs no account (PR:N). Key limiting factors: UI:R - the attack fails without the victim actively loading the link; the victim must have an active authenticated admin-context session; and anonymous/front-end-only visitors are explicitly not affected because they do not load the admin context. Fixed in 4.33.0, so only pre-4.33.0 installations with admin users are exposed.

Impact

This is a medium-severity (CVSS 6.1) reflected/DOM cross-site scripting issue driven by client-side prototype pollution in ApostropheCMS's apos.http.parseQuery. The CVSS vector (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N) shows a network-delivered, low-complexity attack needing no attacker privileges but requiring victim interaction (UI:R) and a scope change (S:C), consistent with script executing in the victim's browser session rather than on the server. No EPSS score, CISA KEV listing, or POC indicator was provided in the input, so there is no public exploit identified at time of analysis and no evidence of active exploitation. Real-world risk is moderated by two compounding preconditions the description makes explicit: the victim must be an already-authenticated user whose browser loads the admin bundle, and they must follow an attacker-crafted link - anonymous/front-end-only visitors are not exposed. This places it closer to a targeted social-engineering vector against logged-in administrators than a mass-exploitable flaw; it is a worthwhile patch priority for teams running the admin UI but not an emergency absent exploitation signals. Note: no SSVC decision data was supplied, so exploitation/automatable/technical-impact cannot be scored from the input.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

An attacker sends a logged-in ApostropheCMS editor or admin a link containing a crafted query string using __proto__/constructor/prototype keys. When the victim opens it while the admin bundle is loaded, parseQuery mutates the browser prototype chain, a polluted property reaches an unsafe DOM sink, and attacker-controlled script runs in the victim's authenticated session (e.g., to perform actions or steal session context). No public exploit was identified at time of analysis, and the attack requires the victim to click the link (UI:R) despite low attack complexity.

This Month Plan within 30 days. Why: MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9).
Patch available 0.3% exploitation probability (EPSS)

Get an e-mail when this CVE is exploited, patched or re-scored. Free account.

Alert me

AnalysisAIv1 – Oct 20, 2026

Cross-site scripting in ApostropheCMS before 4.33.0 allows an unauthenticated attacker to craft a link that, when opened by an authenticated user in the admin context, abuses apos.http.parseQuery prototype-key handling to mutate browser prototypes and reach a DOM sink for script execution in the victim's session. Exploitation requires user interaction and only affects pages that load the admin bundle, so anonymous front-end visitors are not exposed; no public exploit was identified at time of analysis. Version 4.33.0 fixes the issue, which is scored CVSS 6.1 with a scope change.

RemediationAI

Vendor-released patch: upgrade ApostropheCMS to 4.33.0 or later; the vendor release is at https://github.com/apostrophecms/apostrophe/releases/tag/apostrophe@4.33.0 and the advisory is at https://github.com/apostrophecms/apostrophe/security/advisories/GHSA-m2m5-rw3w-cwmj, with the fixes in commits 9500b8b0e1d630d5e07fbb5fd2c25ed0943845ce and f84fd41cbf6c22eb8d0008fc9c25df1f7130b350. If upgrade cannot be performed immediately, restrict admin-bundle access and authenticated admin sessions to trusted networks or VPN, and instruct admin users not to open untrusted links; this reduces exposure but leaves the vulnerable client-side parser in place and may impede remote administration.

Affected VersionsENISA

Apostrophe < 4.33.0

Affected Packages

npm apostrophe fix: 4.33.0

Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)

Affects your stack

Affects 1 package in npm

Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.

Technical ContextAI · show details

ApostropheCMS is an open-source Node.js content management system. The vulnerable path is client-side: apos.http.parseQuery accepts __proto__, constructor, and prototype as path keys in a query string, enabling client-side prototype pollution when an authenticated admin-bundle page processes the crafted URL. That polluted object graph can be used to reach an unsafe DOM sink, producing CWE-79 cross-site scripting in the victim's browser. The CVSS vector AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N reflects network delivery, no attacker privileges, mandatory victim interaction, and scope change; the CPE cpe:2.3:a:apostrophecms:apostrophe:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* identifies the Apostrophe package, but the advisory limits affected releases to those prior to 4.33.0.

Know when Apostrophecms gets its next vulnerability

  • Watch products and get an email when something new is published
  • Check this CVE against your own stack and servers
  • Exploit and PoC references, threat intelligence from 22 sources

No credit card · 7-day full trial

Severity by source

Vendor (GitHub_M) PRIMARY 6.1 MEDIUM
AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N
vuln.today AI 6.1 MEDIUM

Attacker needs no privileges (PR:N) and a simple crafted link (AC:L), but the victim must load it (UI:R); script runs in the victim's browser beyond the server (S:C) with limited C/I and no availability impact.

3.1 AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N
4.0 AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:A/VC:L/VI:L/VA:N/SC:L/SI:L/SA:N

Primary rating from Vendor (GitHub_M).

CVSS VectorVendor: GitHub_M

Attack Vector
Network
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
None
User Interaction
Required
Scope
Changed
Confidentiality
Low
Integrity
Low
Availability
None

Lifecycle Timeline

1
Patch available
Oct 20, 2026 - 19:03 EUVD

DescriptionCVE.org

ApostropheCMS is an open-source Node.js content management system. Prior to 4.33.0, an unauthenticated attacker can send a crafted link whose query string is automatically parsed by apos.http.parseQuery when an authenticated victim loads a page with the admin bundle. The parser accepts the special __proto__, constructor, and prototype path keys, allowing browser prototype mutation that can reach an unsafe DOM sink and execute script in the victim's session; anonymous visitors do not load the affected admin context. This issue is fixed in version 4.33.0.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.3%
Top 73% exploitable
Prevalence
Low
niche open-source Node.js CMS, limited enterprise footprint
Threat Intel
1
1 source
Social Media
1
Sightings
Data Quality
5 sources
Confidence: Medium

How this decision was reached

The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.

SignalValue
Severity MEDIUM
CISA KEV No
Public POC No
EPSS 0.3%
Patch available Yes
Active threat No
Deciding rule
MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9)
What every action level means
Emergency Immediate action required. Criteria: CRITICAL + in CISA KEV (actively exploited) without patch, OR CRITICAL + EPSS > 30% without patch, OR CRITICAL + active threat signals without patch.
Act Now Prioritize within 24-48h. Criteria: in KEV with patch available, OR CRITICAL + public POC, OR HIGH + EPSS > 10%, OR CRITICAL + active threat, OR any CRITICAL severity.
This Week Schedule remediation this week. Criteria: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9). Patch within normal change window.
This Month Plan within 30 days. Criteria: MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9), lower exploitation probability. Include in regular patch cycle.
Monitor Track and reassess. Criteria: LOW severity (CVSS 0.1-3.9), minimal exploitation risk. No immediate action needed.

SSVC AssessmentENISA

SSVC Decision· derived
Scheduled
Exploitation· derived
None
System Exposure· derived
Open
Automatable· derived
No
Human Impact· derived
Medium

Priority Score

30
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: 0
CVSS: +30
PoC: 0
Weaponized: 0
Threat intel: 0
Gov advisory: 0

Attack Technique

Cross-Site Scripting occurs when an application accepts untrusted data and sends it to a web browser without proper validation or encoding.

CVE-2026-63669 MEDIUM POC
6.5 Aug 17

Integrity bypass in ApostropheCMS page management allows authenticated low-privileged editors to move pages into restric

CVE-2026-63670 MEDIUM POC
6.1 Aug 17

Stored cross-site scripting in ApostropheCMS prior to 2.17.6 enables execution of arbitrary JavaScript in victim browser

CVE-2014-125128 MEDIUM POC
6.1 Sep 08

'sanitize-html' prior to version 1.0.3 is vulnerable to Cross-site Scripting (XSS). Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.1), th

CVE-2019-25225 MEDIUM POC
6.1 Sep 08

`sanitize-html` prior to version 2.0.0-beta is vulnerable to Cross-site Scripting (XSS). Rated medium severity (CVSS 6.1

CVE-2021-25979 CRITICAL
9.8 Nov 08

Apostrophe CMS versions prior to 3.3.1 did not invalidate existing login sessions when disabling a user account or chang

CVE-2026-84371 MEDIUM POC
5.4 Sep 01

Stored XSS in sanitize-html versions 1.9.0 through 2.17.6 allows authenticated low-privileged users to inject executable

CVE-2024-21501 MEDIUM POC
5.3 Feb 24

Versions of the package sanitize-html before 2.12.1 are vulnerable to Information Exposure when used on the backend and

CVE-2021-26540 MEDIUM POC
5.3 Feb 08

Apostrophe Technologies sanitize-html before 2.3.2 does not properly validate the hostnames set by the "allowedIframeHos

CVE-2021-26539 MEDIUM POC
5.3 Feb 08

Apostrophe Technologies sanitize-html before 2.3.1 does not properly handle internationalized domain name (IDN) which co

CVE-2026-53609 CRITICAL
9.1 Jun 12

Prototype pollution in ApostropheCMS versions up to and including 4.30.0 allows an authenticated editor to poison Object

CVE-2026-53608 HIGH
8.7 Jun 12

Stored cross-site scripting in the @apostrophecms/seo plugin (versions ≤1.4.2) allows any user holding the default edito

CVE-2026-35569 HIGH
8.7 Apr 15

Stored cross-site scripting in ApostropheCMS SEO fields permits an authenticated attacker to inject arbitrary JavaScript

This site uses cookies essential for authentication and security. No tracking or analytics cookies are used. Privacy Policy