CVE-2021-23265: Craftercms Improper Privilege Management Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-fj9v-g8fw-vxmf
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CVSS 4.3
CWE-269
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2021-23265 is a MODERATE (CVSS 4.3) improper privilege management vulnerability (CWE-269: Improper Privilege Management) affecting Craftercms libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves improper privilege management in craftercms. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 3.1.18.

CVE-2021-23265 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2021-23265
GHSA Identifier GHSA-fj9v-g8fw-vxmf
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 4.3
CWE Classification CWE-269: Improper Privilege Management
Affected Product Craftercms
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 4.3

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

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

How to Fix CVE-2021-23265

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

org.craftercms:craftercms fixed: 3.1.18 
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.craftercms</groupId>
    <artifactId>craftercms</artifactId>
    <version>3.1.18</version>
</dependency>
Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

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

mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.craftercms

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2021-23265, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:

mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.craftercms

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Craftercms in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 3.1.18), your application is affected.

Note: The mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.craftercms command inspects the resolved dependency graph declared in your project's POM files; it does not perform automated security scanning or inspect runtime dynamic classpaths. Always verify runtime container classpaths and shaded JARs.

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-269: Improper Privilege Management, where the product does not properly assign, modify, track, or check privileges for an actor, creating an unintended sphere of control for that actor. In Craftercms, 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 logged-in and authenticated user with a Reviewer Role may lock a content item.

CVE-2021-23265 Affected Craftercms Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
3.1.18
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
org.craftercms:craftercms
maven/org.craftercms/craftercms
Maven
≥ 3.1.0
< 3.1.18
3.1.18

References

NVD — CVE-2021-23265 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-23265
Craftercms Security Information SECURITY
https://docs.craftercms.org/en/3.1/security/advisory.html#cv-2022051601
Craftercms Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/craftercms/craftercms

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2021-23265?
CVE-2021-23265 is a security vulnerability in Craftercms involving Improper Privilege Management in craftercms under CWE-269: Improper Privilege Management.
Which Craftercms versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 3.1.18 across affected packages: org.craftercms:craftercms.
What version fixes CVE-2021-23265?
Upgrading to 3.1.18 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is craftercms affected?
Yes, org.craftercms:craftercms is affected in releases prior to 3.1.18. Upgrade your dependency to 3.1.18 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2021-23265?
CVE-2021-23265 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 4.3 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2021-23265?
CVE-2021-23265 is classified under CWE-269: Improper Privilege Management (The product does not properly assign, modify, track, or check privileges for an actor, creating an unintended sphere of control for that actor.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2021-23265?
Run the dependency tree command: 'mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.craftercms'. 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-fj9v-g8fw-vxmf",
  "modified" : "2022-09-08T14:18:32Z",
  "published" : "2022-05-17T00:00:33Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2021-23265" ],
  "summary" : "Improper Privilege Management in craftercms",
  "details" : "A logged-in and authenticated user with a Reviewer Role may lock a content item.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.craftercms:craftercms"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "3.1.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "3.1.18"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-23265"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://docs.craftercms.org/en/3.1/security/advisory.html#cv-2022051601"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/craftercms/craftercms"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-269" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2022-06-02T14:21:27Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2022-05-16T17:15:00Z"
  }
}