GHSA-p8x7-9vfw-p7vc: Craft CMS Arbitrary User Password Reset Leading Vulnerability

HIGH
CWE-285
Published
Advisory Summary

GHSA-p8x7-9vfw-p7vc is a HIGH arbitrary user password reset leading vulnerability (CWE-285: Improper Authorization) affecting Craft CMS libraries in the Packagist ecosystem. The issue involves arbitrary user password reset leading to administrator account takeover. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 5.10.8.

GHSA-p8x7-9vfw-p7vc at a Glance

CVE Identifier N/A
GHSA Identifier GHSA-p8x7-9vfw-p7vc
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score N/A
CWE Classification CWE-285: Improper Authorization
Affected Product Craft CMS
Package Ecosystem Packagist
Published Date
Last Updated

How to Fix GHSA-p8x7-9vfw-p7vc

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

craftcms/cms fixed: 5.10.8
Upgrade craftcms/cms to 5.10.8
Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

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

inspect dependencies for craftcms/cms

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your application is affected by GHSA-p8x7-9vfw-p7vc, inspect your project dependencies for Craft CMS:

inspect dependencies for craftcms/cms

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Craft CMS in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 5.10.8), your application is affected.

Note: Verify declared build manifests and deployed runtime container environments.

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-285: Improper Authorization, where the product does not perform or incorrectly performs an authorization check when an actor attempts to access a resource or perform an action. In Craft CMS, 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

The vulnerability allows any authenticated user to change their own password without providing the current password or having an active elevated session. It also allows the attacker to change other users’ passwords if the attacker’s account has `edit users` permission (which doesn’t allow changing others’ passwords) and lacks `Administrate users` permission (which is required to change others’ passwords). The vulnerability exists in the `elements/save` action when saving a User element. The `UserPasswordValidator` applies only a `safe` validator to the `newPassword` field without an `on` scenario restriction. This makes `newPassword` mass-assignable during the generic element save flow, completely bypassing the dedicated `users/set-password` action that enforces elevated session verification. An attacker with any authenticated session (whether it’s hijacked or a normal / low-privileged user) can change their own password, and potentially take over administrator accounts. ## Required Permissions - Access the control panel - Edit users (needed for the account takeover attack scenario) ## Impact - Any authenticated user can change their own password without providing their current password. - Users with Edit users permission can change any user’s password, including administrators.

GHSA-p8x7-9vfw-p7vc Affected Craft CMS Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
5.10.8
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
craftcms/cms
Packagist
≥ 5.0.0-RC1
< 5.10.8
5.10.8

References

Frequently Asked Questions

What is GHSA-p8x7-9vfw-p7vc?
GHSA-p8x7-9vfw-p7vc is a security vulnerability in Craft CMS involving Arbitrary user password reset leading to administrator account takeover under CWE-285: Improper Authorization.
Which Craft CMS versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 5.10.8 across affected packages: craftcms/cms.
What version fixes GHSA-p8x7-9vfw-p7vc?
Upgrading to 5.10.8 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is craftcms/cms affected?
Yes, craftcms/cms is affected in releases prior to 5.10.8. Upgrade your dependency to 5.10.8 or later.
What CWE is associated with GHSA-p8x7-9vfw-p7vc?
GHSA-p8x7-9vfw-p7vc is classified under CWE-285: Improper Authorization (The product does not perform or incorrectly performs an authorization check when an actor attempts to access a resource or perform an action.).
How can I check Packagist dependencies for GHSA-p8x7-9vfw-p7vc?
Run the dependency tree command: 'inspect dependencies for craftcms/cms'. 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
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-p8x7-9vfw-p7vc",
  "modified" : "2026-08-06T21:04:11Z",
  "published" : "2026-08-06T21:04:11Z",
  "aliases" : [ ],
  "summary" : "Craft CMS: Arbitrary user password reset leading to administrator account takeover",
  "details" : "The vulnerability allows any authenticated user to change their own password without providing the current password or having an active elevated session. It also allows the attacker to change other users’ passwords if the attacker’s account has `edit users` permission (which doesn’t allow changing others’ passwords) and lacks `Administrate users` permission (which is required to change others’ passwords).\n\nThe vulnerability exists in the `elements/save` action when saving a User element. The `UserPasswordValidator` applies only a `safe` validator to the `newPassword` field without an `on` scenario restriction. This makes `newPassword` mass-assignable during the generic element save flow, completely bypassing the dedicated `users/set-password` action that enforces elevated session verification.\n\nAn attacker with any authenticated session (whether it’s hijacked or a normal / low-privileged user) can change their own password, and potentially take over administrator accounts.\n\n## Required Permissions\n- Access the control panel\n- Edit users (needed for the account takeover attack scenario)\n\n## Impact\n- Any authenticated user can change their own password without providing their current password.\n- Users with Edit users permission can change any user’s password, including administrators.",
  "severity" : [ ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Packagist",
      "name" : "craftcms/cms"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "5.0.0-RC1"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "5.10.8"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/craftcms/cms/security/advisories/GHSA-p8x7-9vfw-p7vc"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/craftcms/cms/commit/cbdf45fbd3ab548b147d7de375f6f6f580b7c294"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/craftcms/cms"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/craftcms/cms/releases/tag/5.10.8"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-285" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2026-08-06T21:04:11Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : null
  }
}