Summary
Craft CMS: Arbitrary user password reset leading to administrator account takeover
The vulnerability allows any authenticated user to change their own password without providing the current password or having an active elevated session. It also allows the attacker to change other users’ passwords if the attacker’s account has edit users permission (which doesn’t allow changing others’ passwords) and lacks Administrate users permission (which is required to change others’ passwords).
The vulnerability exists in the elements/save action when saving a User element. The UserPasswordValidator applies only a safe validator to the newPassword field without an on scenario restriction. This makes newPassword mass-assignable during the generic element save flow, completely bypassing the dedicated users/set-password action that enforces elevated session verification.
An attacker with any authenticated session (whether it’s hijacked or a normal / low-privileged user) can change their own password, and potentially take over administrator accounts.
Required Permissions
- Access the control panel
- Edit users (needed for the account takeover attack scenario)
Impact
- Any authenticated user can change their own password without providing their current password.
- Users with Edit users permission can change any user’s password, including administrators.
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 GHSA-P8X7-9VFW-P7VC? GHSA-P8X7-9VFW-P7VC is a high-severity security vulnerability in craftcms/cms (composer), affecting versions >= 5.0.0-RC1, < 5.10.8. It is fixed in 5.10.8.
- Which versions of craftcms/cms are affected by GHSA-P8X7-9VFW-P7VC? craftcms/cms (composer) versions >= 5.0.0-RC1, < 5.10.8 is affected.
- Is there a fix for GHSA-P8X7-9VFW-P7VC? Yes. GHSA-P8X7-9VFW-P7VC is fixed in 5.10.8. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is GHSA-P8X7-9VFW-P7VC exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether GHSA-P8X7-9VFW-P7VC 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 GHSA-P8X7-9VFW-P7VC 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 GHSA-P8X7-9VFW-P7VC? Upgrade
craftcms/cmsto 5.10.8 or later.