CVE-2021-26119: Smarty/smarty Sandbox Escape Through Template_object Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-w5hr-jm4j-9jvq
CVSS 7.5
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2021-26119 is a HIGH (CVSS 7.5) sandbox escape through template_object vulnerability (General Security Weakness) affecting Smarty/smarty libraries in the Packagist ecosystem. The issue involves sandbox escape through template_object in smarty. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 3.1.39.

CVE-2021-26119 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2021-26119
GHSA Identifier GHSA-w5hr-jm4j-9jvq
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 7.5
CWE Classification General Security Weakness
Affected Product Smarty/smarty
Package Ecosystem Packagist
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 7.5

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

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

How to Fix CVE-2021-26119

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

smarty/smarty fixed: 3.1.39
Upgrade smarty/smarty to 3.1.39
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 smarty/smarty

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your application is affected by CVE-2021-26119, inspect your project dependencies for Smarty/smarty:

inspect dependencies for smarty/smarty

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Smarty/smarty in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 3.1.39), 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 General Security Weakness. In Smarty/smarty, 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

Sandbox protection could be bypassed through access to an internal Smarty object that should have been blocked. Sites that rely on [Smarty Security features](https://www.smarty.net/docs/en/advanced.features.tpl) should upgrade as soon as possible. Please upgrade to 3.1.39 or higher.

CVE-2021-26119 Affected Smarty/smarty Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
3.1.39
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
smarty/smarty
Packagist
< 3.1.39
3.1.39

References

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2021-26119?
CVE-2021-26119 is a security vulnerability in Smarty/smarty involving Sandbox escape through template_object in smarty under General Security Weakness.
Which Smarty/smarty versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 3.1.39 across affected packages: smarty/smarty.
What version fixes CVE-2021-26119?
Upgrading to 3.1.39 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is smarty/smarty affected?
Yes, smarty/smarty is affected in releases prior to 3.1.39. Upgrade your dependency to 3.1.39 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2021-26119?
CVE-2021-26119 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.5 (HIGH) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2021-26119?
CVE-2021-26119 is classified under General Security Weakness.
How can I check Packagist dependencies for CVE-2021-26119?
Run the dependency tree command: 'inspect dependencies for smarty/smarty'. 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-w5hr-jm4j-9jvq",
  "modified" : "2022-05-03T03:42:06Z",
  "published" : "2021-03-02T02:57:23Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2021-26119" ],
  "summary" : "Sandbox escape through template_object in smarty",
  "details" : "Sandbox protection could be bypassed through access to an internal Smarty object that should have been blocked. Sites that rely on [Smarty Security features](https://www.smarty.net/docs/en/advanced.features.tpl) should upgrade as soon as possible. Please upgrade to 3.1.39 or higher.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Packagist",
      "name" : "smarty/smarty"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "3.1.39"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/smarty-php/smarty/security/advisories/GHSA-w5hr-jm4j-9jvq"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-26119"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/FriendsOfPHP/security-advisories/blob/master/smarty/smarty/CVE-2021-26119.yaml"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/smarty-php/smarty"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/smarty-php/smarty/blob/master/CHANGELOG.md"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2021/04/msg00004.html"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2021/04/msg00014.html"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202105-06"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://srcincite.io/blog/2021/02/18/smarty-template-engine-multiple-sandbox-escape-vulnerabilities.html"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.debian.org/security/2022/dsa-5151"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2021-03-02T02:55:01Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2021-02-22T02:15:00Z"
  }
}