CVE-2021-32770

Basic-auth app bundle credential exposure in gatsby-source-wordpress

Workarounds

There is no known workaround at this time, other than manually editing the app.js file post-build.

For more information

Email us at [email protected]

The gatsby-source-wordpress plugin prior to versions 4.0.8 and 5.9.2 leaks .htaccess HTTP Basic Authentication variables into the app.js bundle during build-time. Users who are not initializing basic authentication credentials in the gatsby-config.js are not affected.

Example affected gatsby-config.js:

      resolve: 'gatsby-source-wordpress',
        auth: {
          htaccess: {
            username: leaked_username
            password: leaked_password,
          },
        },

CVE-2021-32770 has a CVSS score of 7.5 (High). The vector is network-reachable, no privileges required, and no user interaction. A CVSS score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether this affects your application depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable in your environment. A fixed version is available (4.0.8, 5.9.2); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Kodem intelligence

Already deployed Kodem?

A patch has been introduced in [email protected] and [email protected] which mitigates the issue by filtering all variables specified in the auth: { } section. Users that depend on this functionality are advised to upgrade to the latest release of gatsby-source-wordpress, run gatsby clean followed by a gatsby build.

1. What is CVE-2021-32770? CVE-2021-32770 is a high-severity security vulnerability in gatsby-source-wordpress (npm), affecting versions < 4.0.8. It is fixed in 4.0.8, 5.9.2.
2. How severe is CVE-2021-32770? CVE-2021-32770 has a CVSS score of 7.5 (High). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.
3. Which versions of gatsby-source-wordpress are affected by CVE-2021-32770? gatsby-source-wordpress (npm) versions < 4.0.8 is affected.
4. Is there a fix for CVE-2021-32770? Yes. CVE-2021-32770 is fixed in 4.0.8, 5.9.2. Upgrade to this version or later.
5. Is CVE-2021-32770 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2021-32770 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
6. What actually determines whether CVE-2021-32770 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.
7. How do I fix CVE-2021-32770?
   • Upgrade gatsby-source-wordpress to 4.0.8 or later
   • Upgrade gatsby-source-wordpress to 5.9.2 or later