Security Digest · Vulnerability record
CVE-2023-44382: October CMS safe mode bypass using Twig sandbox escape
October is a Content Management System (CMS) and web platform to assist with development workflow.
CVSS 9.1 Critical EPSS 0.9% · p58
Should you act?
Critical, preconditions apply
Severe if exploited, but exploitation needs conditions that may not apply to you. This signal is computed from CISA KEV, EPSS and CVSS data; it is not an editorial verdict.
- No confirmed exploitation. It is not in CISA’s KEV catalog. That can change quickly after a public write-up; re-check if you are affected.
- EPSS 0.9%, percentile 58: FIRST’s model estimates a 0.9% chance of exploitation activity in the next 30 days, higher than 58% of all scored CVEs (moderate). EPSS is a probability, not a verdict.
- Needs an account (high (admin)). Exposure depends on who can log in.
- Only applies if your dependency tree includes
october/system(Composer (PHP)) >= 3.0.0, < 3.4.15, fixed in 3.4.15. Check your lockfile, including transitive dependencies.
What it is
October is a Content Management System (CMS) and web platform to assist with development workflow. An authenticated backend user with the editor.cmspages, editor.cmslayouts, or editor.cmspartials permissions who would normally not be permitted to provide PHP code to be executed by the CMS due to cms.safemode being enabled can write specific Twig code to escape the Twig sandbox and execute arbitrary PHP. This issue has been patched in 3.4.15.
From the GitHub advisory
Impact
An authenticated backend user with the editor.cmspages, editor.cmslayouts, or editor.cmspartials permissions who would normally not be permitted to provide PHP code to be executed by the CMS due to cms.safemode being enabled can write specific Twig code to escape the Twig sandbox and execute arbitrary PHP.
This is not a problem for anyone who trusts their users with those permissions to usually write and manage PHP within the CMS by not having cms.safemode enabled. Still, it would be a problem for anyone relying on cms.safemode to ensure that users with those permissions in production do not have access to write and execute arbitrary PHP.
Patches
This issue has been patched in v3.4.15.
Weakness type: CWE-94.
Product: october/system (Composer (PHP)) · Assigned by: GitHub_M · Published: 2023-12-01
Affected and fixed versions
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable | First fixed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Composer (PHP) | october/system | >= 3.0.0, < 3.4.15 | 3.4.15 |
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions (per CVE record) |
|---|---|---|
| octobercms | october | >= 3.0.0, < 3.4.15 |
Severity scores
| Scored by | CVSS | Score | Vector |
|---|---|---|---|
| GitHub_M | 3.1 | 9.1 Critical | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H |
| GitHub | 3.1 | 9.1 | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H |
- Attack vector: network (remotely reachable)
- Attack complexity: low
- Privileges required: high (admin)
- User interaction: none
- Scope: changed (can affect other components)
CVSS measures how bad a flaw is if exploited, not how likely exploitation is. Read it next to the exploitation data below.
Exploitation and urgency
- CISA KEV: not listed (no confirmed in-the-wild exploitation known to CISA).
- FIRST EPSS (model of 2026-10-21): 0.87% probability of exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 58.
Timeline
- — GitHub-reviewed advisory GHSA-p8q3-h652-65vx published (critical)
- — CVE record published by GitHub_M
- — CVE record last updated
Sources and references
Original sources first. Version and fix details should always be confirmed against the vendor or project advisory.
Vulnerability records
- GitHub Advisory GHSA-p8q3-h652-65vx github.com
- CVE.org record CVE-2023-44382 cve.org
- NVD entry CVE-2023-44382 nvd.nist.gov
Other references from the CVE record and advisory
- github.com github.com
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