Summary
API Platform Core can leak exceptions message that may contain sensitive information
Full technical description
Exception messages, that are not HTTP exceptions, are visible in the JSON error response.
Details
While we wanted to make our errors compatible with the JSON Problem specification, we ended up handling more exceptions then we did previously (introduced at https://github.com/api-platform/core/pull/5823). Instead of leaving that to Symfony, we ended up serializing errors with our normalizers which lead to not hiding the exception details. Note that the trace is hidden in production but the message is not, and the message can contain sensitive information.
PoC
At https://github.com/ili101/api-platform/tree/test3.2 it triggers an authentication exception as LDAP is not reachable. You can find the message available as a JSON response when trying to reach an endpoint.
Impact
Version 3.2 until 3.2.4 is impacted.
CVE-2023-47639 has a CVSS score of 5.3 (Medium). 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 (3.2.5); 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.
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Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2023-47639? CVE-2023-47639 is a medium-severity security vulnerability in api-platform/core (composer), affecting versions >= 3.2.0, < 3.2.5. It is fixed in 3.2.5.
- How severe is CVE-2023-47639? CVE-2023-47639 has a CVSS score of 5.3 (Medium). 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 api-platform/core are affected by CVE-2023-47639? api-platform/core (composer) versions >= 3.2.0, < 3.2.5 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2023-47639? Yes. CVE-2023-47639 is fixed in 3.2.5. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2023-47639 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2023-47639 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-2023-47639 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-2023-47639? Upgrade
api-platform/coreto 3.2.5 or later.