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Winter CMS EUVDEUVD-2026-65532

| CVE-2026-79774 CRITICAL
Protection Mechanism Failure (CWE-693)
2026-08-25 VulnCheck GHSA-gw97-553p-fp3j
9.3
CVSS 4.0 · Vendor: VulnCheck
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Attack ChainAIDerived

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

  1. Access
    Authenticate to backend with template-edit permission
  2. Delivery
    Craft Twig payload escaping SecurityPolicy
  3. Exploit
    Forward call through Eloquent model to query builder
  4. Execution
    Inject PHP into page/layout code section
  5. Impact
    Render page to execute code and dump credentials

Vulnerability Assessment

Weakness
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A06:2025 - Insecure Design
ASVS 5.0
V15 - Secure Coding and Architecture Protection mechanism completeness
Exploitation Conditions

Requires an authenticated Winter CMS backend account holding at least one of the CMS template-editing permissions cms.manage_pages, cms.manage_layouts, or cms.manage_partials - these are the exact prerequisites named in the advisory. The Twig sandbox escape then works against affected versions (>= 1.2.7, < 1.2.13) in their normal configuration; no additional non-default feature toggle is needed beyond having those permissions. Limiting factors: it is not exploitable by anonymous or front-end users, the required permissions are meant to be granted only to trusted developers/administrators (PR:H), and the CVSS records passive user interaction (UI:P) tied to the malicious template being rendered - though an attacker can trigger that rendering themselves.

Impact

The CVSS 4.0 base score is 9.3, driven by network reachability of the backend (AV:N/AC:L) and full confidentiality/integrity/availability impact including scope/subsequent-system compromise via RCE. The critical moderating signal is PR:H: exploitation requires an authenticated backend account already granted CMS template-editing permissions, which are intended for trusted developers/administrators - so this is fundamentally a privilege-boundary/defence-in-depth failure rather than an anonymous internet-facing RCE. There is no CISA KEV listing and no EPSS score in the provided data, so widespread automated exploitation cannot be asserted; the realistic threat model is a malicious insider, an over-provisioned low-trust content editor, or an attacker who has phished/compromised a backend credential and then pivots to full server and database takeover. Because a working patch and detailed payloads are public while active exploitation is unconfirmed, defenders should treat this as a high-priority patch for any multi-tenant or delegated-editing deployment, but a lower-urgency issue where template-editing is restricted to a handful of already-fully-trusted administrators.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

An attacker who controls a backend account with cms.manage_pages (for example an over-privileged content editor or a phished developer login) edits a CMS page and inserts a Twig payload that forwards through an Eloquent model to the query builder - e.g. writing PHP into the page's own code section via a newQuery().update({ code: "<?php ... ?>" }) style call - turning the stored template into executable PHP. When the page is rendered the injected PHP runs on the server, and the same primitive can instead run arbitrary SQL to dump backend_users credentials. The advisory and shipped regression tests include concrete working payloads, lowering the effort required.

Act Now Prioritize within 24-48h. Why: CRITICAL severity.
Patch available 0.4% exploitation probability (EPSS)

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AnalysisAIv1 – Aug 25, 2026

Authenticated Twig sandbox escape in Winter CMS before 1.2.13 lets backend users holding template-editing permissions (cms.manage_pages, cms.manage_layouts, or cms.manage_partials) break out of the CMS 'safe mode' to read and modify arbitrary database records, run raw SQL including DDL like DROP TABLE, exfiltrate backend administrator credentials, and achieve PHP remote code execution by writing PHP into a page, layout, or partial code section. It is an incomplete-fix follow-up (bypass) of CVE-2024-54149, whose method-name blocklist missed Eloquent's __call forwarding to the query builder. Rated CVSS 4.0 9.3 (VulnCheck); no public exploit is identified as actively used, though the vendor advisory and added test cases publish working payloads.

RemediationAI

Vendor-released patch: v1.2.13 - upgrade the winter/wn-system-module package to 1.2.13 (fix commit 725bbcda232466f7f71381c271c6916573d576e6), per advisory GHSA-8cfw-pcwh-v63w (https://github.com/wintercms/winter/security/advisories/GHSA-8cfw-pcwh-v63w). Where immediate upgrade is not possible, the effective compensating control is to tightly restrict who holds the cms.manage_pages, cms.manage_layouts, and cms.manage_partials permissions, revoking them from any backend user who is not a fully trusted developer, since the sandbox can no longer be relied on as a boundary for those roles; the trade-off is that affected editors lose the ability to modify CMS templates until patched. Additionally restrict network access to the /backend administration interface (IP allowlist/VPN) and rotate backend administrator credentials if any untrusted account may have exercised the flaw, since credential exfiltration is part of the impact.

Affected VersionsENISA

winter 1.2.7 <1.2.13

Affected Packages

composer winter/wn-system-module fix: 1.2.13
euvd winter fix: 1.2.13

Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)

Affects your stack

Affects 2 packages in composer, euvd

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

Technical ContextAI · show details

Winter CMS is a Laravel-based PHP CMS whose CMS templates are rendered through Twig with a sandbox (SecurityPolicy) that is meant to restrict what template code may call. The root cause maps to CWE-693 (Protection Mechanism Failure): the sandbox relied on a flat blocklist of dangerous method names, but Winter Storm's Eloquent models forward unknown method calls via PHP __call to the underlying query builder, connection, and collections. Because a name blocked on the query builder was not blocked when reached transitively through a model, Eloquent builder, relation, or pivot, an attacker could invoke equivalents such as saveQuietly(), deleteQuietly(), increment()/decrement(), newQuery(), getConnection(), getConnectionResolver(), setTable(), and higher-order collection/callable methods (when(), each(), extend(), unguarded()) that the blocklist never covered. The v1.2.13 fix reworks SecurityPolicy to model the real forwarder chain, locks down the database connection/resolver, restricts the source() and constant() Twig functions, and adds SafeCollection/SafePaginator wrappers plus a GetAttrAdjuster node visitor to neutralise callable arguments, while preserving read-only query building.

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  • Exploit and PoC references, threat intelligence from 22 sources

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Severity by source

Vendor (VulnCheck) PRIMARY 9.3 CRITICAL
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:H/UI:P/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:H/SI:H/SA:H
vuln.today AI 9.1 CRITICAL

PR:H because exploitation needs a trusted backend account with template-editing permissions; AV:N/AC:L for the reachable backend; S:C and C/I/A:H because the sandbox escape yields DB compromise and server RCE.

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

Primary rating from Vendor (VulnCheck).

CVSS VectorVendor: VulnCheck

Attack Vector
Network
Attack Complexity
Low
Attack Requirements
None
Privileges Required
High
User Interaction
Passive
Vulnerable system: Confidentiality
High
Vulnerable system: Integrity
High
Vulnerable system: Availability
High
Subsequent system: Confidentiality
High
Subsequent system: Integrity
High
Subsequent system: Availability
High

DescriptionCVE.org

Winter CMS versions before 1.2.13 contain an incomplete fix for a Twig sandbox escape vulnerability in System\\Twig\\SecurityPolicy that allows authenticated backend users with template-editing permissions to bypass sandbox restrictions. Attackers can exploit method forwarding through Eloquent models and query builders using methods like saveQuietly(), deleteQuietly(), increment(), decrement(), and newQuery() to read and modify arbitrary database records, execute arbitrary SQL, and achieve remote code execution by injecting PHP into template code sections.

Executive ViewAI

Why It Matters

Winter CMS versions before 1.2.13 contain an authenticated sandbox escape that allows backend users with template-editing permissions to achieve remote code execution, exfiltrate administrator credentials, and execute arbitrary SQL including DROP TABLE commands. Publicly available exploit code exists; this vulnerability transforms template editors into full system administrators, creating significant insider-threat exposure in organizations with multiple CMS administrators or third-party contractors.

Business Impact: Severe
Compensating Controls

Apply vendor patch.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.4%
Top 64% exploitable
Prevalence
Low
niche Laravel-based PHP CMS, small footprint versus major platforms
Data Quality
6 sources
Confidence: High

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 CRITICAL
CISA KEV No
Public POC No
EPSS 0.4%
Patch available Yes
Active threat No
Deciding rule
CRITICAL severity
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
Scheduled
Exploitation
None
System Exposure· derived
Open
Automatable
No
Human Impact
Very High
Technical Impact
Total

Priority Score

46
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: 0
CVSS: +46
PoC: 0
Weaponized: 0
Threat intel: 0
Gov advisory: 0

Attack Technique

Remote Code Execution represents the critical moment when an attacker successfully runs arbitrary code on a target system without physical access.

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