GHSA-v64r-7wg9-23pr
Unauthenticated Craft CMS users can trigger a database backup
EPSS Exploitation Probability
EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) is a daily probability model maintained by FIRST.org. It estimates the likelihood a CVE will be exploited in production environments within the next 30 days, derived from real-world threat intelligence signals.
Blast Radius
craftcms/cms🐘craftcms/cmsReal-time download stats are indexed for npm and PyPI packages. This vulnerability affects Packagist packages — download data is not available via public APIs for these ecosystems.
Description
Unauthenticated users can trigger database backup operations the updater/backup action, potentially leading to resource exhaustion or information disclosure.
Users should update to the patched versions (5.8.21 and 4.16.17) to mitigate the issue.
Craft 3 users should update to the latest Craft 4 and 5 releases, which include the fixes.
References:
https://github.com/craftcms/cms/commit/f83d4e0c6b906743206b4747db4abf8164b8da39
https://github.com/craftcms/cms/blob/5.x/CHANGELOG.md#5821---2025-12-04
Affected Endpoints
POST /admin/actions/updater/backup(unauthenticated)
Vulnerability Details
Root Cause
All updater/* actions are explicitly configured with anonymous access:
// BaseUpdaterController.php
protected array|bool|int $allowAnonymous = self::ALLOW_ANONYMOUS_LIVE | self::ALLOW_ANONYMOUS_OFFLINE;
Attack Vector
- Send unauthenticated POST request to
/admin/actions/updater/backup - Database backup executes with configured
backupCommand
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🐘Packagist | craftcms/cms | ≥ 5.0.0-RC1&&< 5.8.21 | 5.8.21 |
| 🐘Packagist | craftcms/cms | ≥ 3.0.0&&< 4.16.17 | 4.16.17 |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for craftcms/cms. O3's reachability analysis confirms whether the vulnerable code path is actually invoked in your application, so you act on real exposure instead of every transitive match.
Fix
Update craftcms/cms to 5.8.21 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-v64r-7wg9-23pr is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
If you can't upgrade right away: gate or disable the affected feature, validate untrusted input at the boundary, and avoid passing attacker-controlled data into the vulnerable path. O3's runtime protection blocks exploitation in production as an interim safeguard until the upgrade lands.
How O3 protects you
O3 pinpoints whether GHSA-v64r-7wg9-23pr is reachable in your code and exactly where to fix it, then blocks exploitation in production at runtime until the patched version is deployed.
Tailored to GHSA-v64r-7wg9-23pr. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is GHSA-v64r-7wg9-23pr in your dependencies?
O3 detects GHSA-v64r-7wg9-23pr across Packagist dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.