Summary
Bypass of CMS Safe Mode Security Feature
Workarounds
Apply https://github.com/wintercms/storm/commit/03eb5ce3f2a271670574802b914f7bcaf07663c1 manually if unable to upgrade to v1.0.475, v1.1.9, or v1.2.0.
References
See https://github.com/octobercms/october/security/advisories/GHSA-79jw-2f46-wv22/.
Credit to David Miller for reporting the issue.
For more information
If you have any questions or comments about this advisory:
- Email us at [email protected]
Impact
Authenticated users with permissions to create or modify theme template objects through the backend "CMS" editor can exploit this vulnerability to bypass the cms.enableSafeMode security feature if enabled (disables modification of PHP code through the web interface when enabled).
This is only an issue for Winter CMS instances that rely on the Safe Mode security feature to prevent privileged users from modifying the PHP code of CMS theme template objects through the web interface.
CVSS v3.1 Vector: AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:P/RL:O/RC:C
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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Issue has been fixed in v1.0.475, v1.1.9, & v1.2.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is GHSA-Q37H-JHF3-85CJ? GHSA-Q37H-JHF3-85CJ is a medium-severity security vulnerability in wintercms/winter (composer), affecting versions < 1.0.475. It is fixed in 1.0.475, 1.1.9.
- Which versions of wintercms/winter are affected by GHSA-Q37H-JHF3-85CJ? wintercms/winter (composer) versions < 1.0.475 is affected.
- Is there a fix for GHSA-Q37H-JHF3-85CJ? Yes. GHSA-Q37H-JHF3-85CJ is fixed in 1.0.475, 1.1.9. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is GHSA-Q37H-JHF3-85CJ exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether GHSA-Q37H-JHF3-85CJ 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-Q37H-JHF3-85CJ 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-Q37H-JHF3-85CJ?
- Upgrade
wintercms/winterto 1.0.475 or later - Upgrade
wintercms/winterto 1.1.9 or later
- Upgrade