Summary
Workarounds
Apply https://github.com/octobercms/library/commit/c393c5ce9ca2c5acc3ed6c9bb0dab5ffd61965fe to your installation manually if unable to upgrade to Build 474 or v1.1.10.
References
Credits to:
- David Miller
For more information
If you have any questions or comments about this advisory:
- Email us at [email protected]
Impact
An authenticated user with the permissions to create, modify and delete website pages can exploit this vulnerability to bypass cms.safe_mode / cms.enableSafeMode in order to execute arbitrary code.
- This issue only affects admin panels that rely on safe mode and restricted permissions.
- To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker must first have access to the backend area.
CVE-2022-21705 has a CVSS score of 7.2 (High). The vector is network-reachable, high 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 (1.0.474, 1.1.10, 2.1.27); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.
Affected versions
Security releases
Kodem intelligence
Severity tells you how bad this could be in the worst case. It does not tell you whether you are exposed. Exploitability and impact are functions of runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A vulnerable package can sit in your dependency tree and never run.
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. Kodem's runtime-powered SCA identifies whether this CVE is reachable in your applications.
Remediation advice
The issue has been patched in Build 474 (v1.0.474) and v1.1.10.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2022-21705? CVE-2022-21705 is a high-severity security vulnerability in october/system (composer), affecting versions < 1.0.474. It is fixed in 1.0.474, 1.1.10, 2.1.27.
- How severe is CVE-2022-21705? CVE-2022-21705 has a CVSS score of 7.2 (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.
- Which versions of october/system are affected by CVE-2022-21705? october/system (composer) versions < 1.0.474 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2022-21705? Yes. CVE-2022-21705 is fixed in 1.0.474, 1.1.10, 2.1.27. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2022-21705 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2022-21705 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
- What actually determines whether CVE-2022-21705 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.
- How do I fix CVE-2022-21705?
- Upgrade
october/systemto 1.0.474 or later - Upgrade
october/systemto 1.1.10 or later - Upgrade
october/systemto 2.1.27 or later
- Upgrade