CVE-2021-28128: Strapi Weak Password Recovery Mechanism For Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-37hx-4mcq-wc3h
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CVSS 8.1
CWE-640
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2021-28128 is a HIGH (CVSS 8.1) weak password recovery mechanism for vulnerability (CWE-640: Weak Password Recovery Mechanism for Forgotten Password) affecting Strapi libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves weak password recovery mechanism for forgotten password in strapi. Remediation is available in the latest vendor maintenance releases.

CVE-2021-28128 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2021-28128
GHSA Identifier GHSA-37hx-4mcq-wc3h
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 8.1
CWE Classification CWE-640: Weak Password Recovery Mechanism for Forgotten Password
Affected Product Strapi
Package Ecosystem npm
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 8.1

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:H/I:H/A:N).

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 None (A:N)

How to Fix CVE-2021-28128

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Strapi 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 fixed: Latest secure release 
npm install strapi@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 strapi

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Node.js application is affected by CVE-2021-28128, inspect your project dependencies using npm:

npm ls strapi

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Strapi 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 strapi 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-640: Weak Password Recovery Mechanism for Forgotten Password, where the product contains a mechanism for users to recover or change their passwords without knowing the original password, but the mechanism is weak. In Strapi, 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

In Strapi through 3.6.0, the admin panel allows the changing of one's own password without entering the current password. An attacker who gains access to a valid session can use this to take over an account by changing the password.

CVE-2021-28128 Affected Strapi Versions

1 component(s)
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
strapi
npm/strapi
npm
≤ 3.6.0

References

NVD — CVE-2021-28128 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-28128
Strapi Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/strapi/strapi/issues/9657
Strapi Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/strapi/strapi
Strapi Release RELEASE
https://github.com/strapi/strapi/releases/tag/v3.6.0
www.syss.de/fileadmin/dokumente... WEB
https://www.syss.de/fileadmin/dokumente/Publikationen/Advisories/SYSS-2021-008.txt

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2021-28128?
CVE-2021-28128 is a security vulnerability in Strapi involving Weak Password Recovery Mechanism for Forgotten Password in Strapi under CWE-640: Weak Password Recovery Mechanism for Forgotten Password.
Which Strapi versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to current release patches across affected packages: strapi.
What version fixes CVE-2021-28128?
Upgrading to current release patches (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is strapi affected?
Yes, strapi 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-2021-28128?
CVE-2021-28128 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 8.1 (HIGH) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2021-28128?
CVE-2021-28128 is classified under CWE-640: Weak Password Recovery Mechanism for Forgotten Password (The product contains a mechanism for users to recover or change their passwords without knowing the original password, but the mechanism is weak.).
How can I check npm dependencies for CVE-2021-28128?
Run the dependency tree command: 'npm ls strapi'. 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-37hx-4mcq-wc3h",
  "modified" : "2021-10-06T14:09:30Z",
  "published" : "2021-10-06T17:48:16Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2021-28128" ],
  "summary" : "Weak Password Recovery Mechanism for Forgotten Password in Strapi",
  "details" : "In Strapi through 3.6.0, the admin panel allows the changing of one's own password without entering the current password. An attacker who gains access to a valid session can use this to take over an account by changing the password.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "npm",
      "name" : "strapi"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "last_affected" : "3.6.0"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-28128"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/strapi/strapi/issues/9657"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/strapi/strapi"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/strapi/strapi/releases/tag/v3.6.0"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.syss.de/fileadmin/dokumente/Publikationen/Advisories/SYSS-2021-008.txt"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-640" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2021-10-06T14:09:30Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2021-05-06T14:15:00Z"
  }
}