Summary
Craft CMS' anonymous "assets/image-editor" calls return private asset editor metadata to unauthorized users
A low-privileged authenticated user can call assets/image-editor with the ID of a private asset they cannot view and still receive editor response data, including focalPoint.
The endpoint returns private editing metadata without per-asset authorization validation.
Root-cause analysis:
actionImageEditor()acceptsassetIdfrom the request body.- The asset is loaded, and the focal-point data is read.
- Response returns
htmlandfocalPoint. - No explicit authorization check is applied before the response.
Affected deployments:
- Craft sites where asset edit metadata should remain restricted to authorized users.
Security consequence:
- Unauthorized users can extract private editor metadata and related editor context for inaccessible assets.
Impact
The application does not perform an authorization check before performing a sensitive operation. Typical impact: unauthorized access to restricted functionality or data.
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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craftcms/cms to 5.9.14 or later; craftcms/cms to 4.17.8 or later
Kodem Kai can prioritize this vulnerability in your dependency tree and generate a fix recommendation.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2026-33161? CVE-2026-33161 is a low-severity missing authorization vulnerability in craftcms/cms (composer), affecting versions >= 5.0.0-RC1, <= 5.9.13. It is fixed in 5.9.14, 4.17.8. The application does not perform an authorization check before performing a sensitive operation.
- Which versions of craftcms/cms are affected by CVE-2026-33161? craftcms/cms (composer) versions >= 5.0.0-RC1, <= 5.9.13 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2026-33161? Yes. CVE-2026-33161 is fixed in 5.9.14, 4.17.8. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2026-33161 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2026-33161 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-2026-33161 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-2026-33161?
- Upgrade
craftcms/cmsto 5.9.14 or later - Upgrade
craftcms/cmsto 4.17.8 or later
- Upgrade