CVE-2020-8123: Strapi admin Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-23fp-fmrv-f5px
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CVSS 4.9
CWE-400
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2020-8123 is a MODERATE (CVSS 4.9) remote code execution vulnerability (CWE-400: Uncontrolled Resource Consumption) affecting Strapi admin libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves uncontrolled resource consumption in strapi. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 3.0.0-beta.18.4.

CVE-2020-8123 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2020-8123
GHSA Identifier GHSA-23fp-fmrv-f5px
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 4.9
CWE Classification CWE-400: Uncontrolled Resource Consumption
Affected Product Strapi admin
Package Ecosystem npm
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 4.9

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H).

Attack Vector Network (AV:N)
Attack Complexity Low (AC:L)
Privileges Required High (PR:H)
User Interaction None (UI:N)
Scope Unchanged (S:U)
Confidentiality None (C:N)
Integrity None (I:N)
Availability High (A:H)

How to Fix CVE-2020-8123

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Strapi admin dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

strapi-admin fixed: 3.0.0-beta.18.4 
npm install strapi-admin@3.0.0-beta.18.4
Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release: 

npm ls strapi-admin

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Node.js application is affected by CVE-2020-8123, inspect your project dependencies using npm:

npm ls strapi-admin

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Strapi admin in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 3.0.0-beta.18.4), your application is affected.

Note: The npm ls strapi-admin command inspects dependencies declared in your package.json and lockfile; it does not perform automated runtime dynamic scanning.

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-400: Uncontrolled Resource Consumption, where the product does not properly control the allocation and maintenance of a limited resource. In Strapi admin, software state validation or input boundaries are circumvented during processing. Review the official source advisory statement below for specific affected components, classes, and reproduction details.

Source Advisory Statement

A denial of service exists in strapi v3.0.0-beta.18.3 and earlier that can be abused in the admin console using admin rights can lead to arbitrary restart of the application.

CVE-2020-8123 Affected Strapi admin Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
3.0.0-beta.18.4
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
strapi-admin
npm/strapi-admin
npm
< 3.0.0-beta.18.4
3.0.0-beta.18.4

References

NVD — CVE-2020-8123 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-8123
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/strapi/strapi/commit/c0c191c08f05fe10d7a6b1bf9475c1a651a89362
hackerone.com/reports/768574 WEB
https://hackerone.com/reports/768574
Strapi admin Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/strapi/strapi

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2020-8123?
CVE-2020-8123 is a security vulnerability in Strapi admin involving Uncontrolled Resource Consumption in strapi under CWE-400: Uncontrolled Resource Consumption.
Which Strapi admin versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 3.0.0-beta.18.4 across affected packages: strapi-admin.
What version fixes CVE-2020-8123?
Upgrading to 3.0.0-beta.18.4 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is strapi-admin affected?
Yes, strapi-admin is affected in releases prior to 3.0.0-beta.18.4. Upgrade your dependency to 3.0.0-beta.18.4 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2020-8123?
CVE-2020-8123 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 4.9 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2020-8123?
CVE-2020-8123 is classified under CWE-400: Uncontrolled Resource Consumption (The product does not properly control the allocation and maintenance of a limited resource.).
How can I check npm dependencies for CVE-2020-8123?
Run the dependency tree command: 'npm ls strapi-admin'. This command lists direct and transitive dependencies in your build configuration so you can verify if a vulnerable version is resolved.
Machine-readable OSV JSON OSV v1.5 Schema
Normalized schema output
View Raw JSON 
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-23fp-fmrv-f5px",
  "modified" : "2023-11-27T21:11:47Z",
  "published" : "2021-12-10T17:22:01Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2020-8123" ],
  "summary" : "Uncontrolled Resource Consumption in strapi",
  "details" : "A denial of service exists in strapi v3.0.0-beta.18.3 and earlier that can be abused in the admin console using admin rights can lead to arbitrary restart of the application.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "npm",
      "name" : "strapi-admin"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "3.0.0-beta.18.4"
      } ]
    } ],
    "database_specific" : {
      "last_known_affected_version_range" : "<= 3.0.0-beta.18.3"
    }
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-8123"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/strapi/strapi/commit/c0c191c08f05fe10d7a6b1bf9475c1a651a89362"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://hackerone.com/reports/768574"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/strapi/strapi"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-400" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2021-03-30T13:53:18Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2020-02-04T20:15:00Z"
  }
}