CVE-2023-44382

Workarounds

As a workaround, remove the specified permissions from untrusted users.

References

Credits to:

• Vasiliy Bodrov

For more information

If you have any questions or comments about this advisory:

• Email us at [email protected]

An authenticated backend user with the editor.cms_pages, editor.cms_layouts, or editor.cms_partials permissions who would normally not be permitted to provide PHP code to be executed by the CMS due to cms.safe_mode 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.safe_mode enabled. Still, it would be a problem for anyone relying on cms.safe_mode to ensure that users with those permissions in production do not have access to write and execute arbitrary PHP.

Untrusted input is evaluated as executable code within the application's runtime environment. Typical impact: arbitrary code execution within the application's privilege context.

CVE-2023-44382 has a CVSS score of 9.1 (Critical). 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 (3.4.15); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Kodem intelligence

This issue has been patched in v3.4.15.

1. What is CVE-2023-44382? CVE-2023-44382 is a critical-severity code injection vulnerability in october/system (composer), affecting versions >= 3.0.0, < 3.4.15. It is fixed in 3.4.15. Untrusted input is evaluated as executable code within the application's runtime environment.
2. How severe is CVE-2023-44382? CVE-2023-44382 has a CVSS score of 9.1 (Critical). 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 october/system are affected by CVE-2023-44382? october/system (composer) versions >= 3.0.0, < 3.4.15 is affected.
4. Is there a fix for CVE-2023-44382? Yes. CVE-2023-44382 is fixed in 3.4.15. Upgrade to this version or later.
5. Is CVE-2023-44382 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2023-44382 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-2023-44382 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-2023-44382? Upgrade october/system to 3.4.15 or later.