CVE-2019-15953: Total4 Total.js CMS Unauthorized Access Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-q3x9-28f7-w8rc
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CVSS 8.8
CWE-862
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2019-15953 is a HIGH (CVSS 8.8) total.js cms unauthorized access vulnerability (CWE-862: Missing Authorization) affecting Total4 libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves total.js cms unauthorized access. Remediation is available in the latest vendor maintenance releases.

CVE-2019-15953 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2019-15953
GHSA Identifier GHSA-q3x9-28f7-w8rc
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 8.8
CWE Classification CWE-862: Missing Authorization
Affected Product Total4
Package Ecosystem npm
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 8.8

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H).

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 High (C:H)
Integrity High (I:H)
Availability High (A:H)

How to Fix CVE-2019-15953

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Total4 dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

total4 fixed: Latest secure release 
npm install total4@Latest secure release
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 total4

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Node.js application is affected by CVE-2019-15953, inspect your project dependencies using npm:

npm ls total4

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Total4 in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than the patched release), your application is affected.

Note: The npm ls total4 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-862: Missing Authorization, where the product does not perform an authorization check when an actor attempts to access a resource or perform an action. In Total4, 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

An issue was discovered in Total.js CMS 12.0.0. An authenticated user with limited privileges can get access to a resource that they do not own by calling the associated API. The product correctly manages privileges only for the front-end resource path, not for API requests. This leads to vertical and horizontal privilege escalation.

CVE-2019-15953 Affected Total4 Versions

1 component(s)
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
total4
npm/total4
npm
12.0
All 1 versions
12.0
None specified

References

NVD — CVE-2019-15953 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-15953
Total4 Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/beerpwn/CVE/blob/master/Totaljs_disclosure_report/report_final.pdf
Total4 Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/totaljs/cms
seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2019... WEB
https://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2019/Sep/6

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2019-15953?
CVE-2019-15953 is a security vulnerability in Total4 involving Total.js CMS Unauthorized Access under CWE-862: Missing Authorization.
Which Total4 versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to current release patches across affected packages: total4.
What version fixes CVE-2019-15953?
Upgrading to current release patches (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is total4 affected?
Yes, total4 is affected in releases prior to Latest secure release. Upgrade your dependency to Latest secure release or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2019-15953?
CVE-2019-15953 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 8.8 (HIGH) with vector string CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2019-15953?
CVE-2019-15953 is classified under CWE-862: Missing Authorization (The product does not perform an authorization check when an actor attempts to access a resource or perform an action.).
How can I check npm dependencies for CVE-2019-15953?
Run the dependency tree command: 'npm ls total4'. 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-q3x9-28f7-w8rc",
  "modified" : "2023-07-17T23:17:34Z",
  "published" : "2022-05-24T16:55:31Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2019-15953" ],
  "summary" : "Total.js CMS Unauthorized Access",
  "details" : "An issue was discovered in Total.js CMS 12.0.0. An authenticated user with limited privileges can get access to a resource that they do not own by calling the associated API. The product correctly manages privileges only for the front-end resource path, not for API requests. This leads to vertical and horizontal privilege escalation.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "npm",
      "name" : "total4"
    },
    "versions" : [ "12.0" ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-15953"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/beerpwn/CVE/blob/master/Totaljs_disclosure_report/report_final.pdf"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/totaljs/cms"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2019/Sep/6"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-862" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2023-07-17T23:17:34Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2019-09-05T19:16:00Z"
  }
}