ApostropheCMS: No Attempt Throttling on Authenticated Password-Change Endpoint Enables Unlimited Current-Password Guessing

Exploitation

No confirmed exploitation recorded. Patch Next marks exploitation only from CISA KEV.

CVSS

5.9 · CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N

EPSS

• CVE-2026-113710: 0.33% estimated exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 26.19 (FIRST EPSS, 2026-11-03). This is a model estimate, not proof of exploitation or customer exposure.

As published by the source; long descriptions are shortened.

Summary The self-service password-change endpoint verifies the current password but does not use the login module’s failed-attempt counter, throttle, delay, or lockout mechanism. An attacker with a valid authenticated session can submit repeated guesses for the current password without receiving a lockout or throttle response. Exact source path packages/apostrophe/modules/@apostrophecms/settings/index.js:621-664 The password-change route is: PATCH /api/v1/@apostrophecms/settings/password The route calls the password verifier directly through: await self.handleProtectedSubform(req, subform, req.body ); The password verification path is: packages/apostrophe/modules/@apostrophecms/settings/index.js:514-542 async handlePasswordProtectedSubform(req, subform, payload) { try { await self.apos.user.verifyPassword(req.user, payload.passwordCurrent); } catch (e) { throw self.apos.error( 'forbidden', 'apostrophe:passwordCurrentError', { path: 'passwordCurrent' } ); } return subform; } The…

Published by the source

20 Oct 2026, 18:17 UTC

Last modified by the source

20 Oct 2026, 18:30 UTC

Source last checked

26 Oct 2026, 13:07 UTC

1. Revision 3 · amended · 26 Oct 2026

   Amended from ghsa record GHSA-653j-g8j7-gh54

2. Revision 2 · amended · 24 Oct 2026

   Amended from osv record GHSA-653j-g8j7-gh54

3. Revision 1 · created · 23 Oct 2026

   Published from ghsa record GHSA-653j-g8j7-gh54

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# Patch Next advisory brief: CVE-2026-113710

Advisory: ApostropheCMS: No Attempt Throttling on Authenticated Password-Change Endpoint Enables Unlimited Current-Password Guessing
IDs: CVE-2026-113710, GHSA-653j-g8j7-gh54
Record: https://patchnext.com/advisories/cve-2026-113710 (revision 3, source checked 26 Oct 2026, 13:07 UTC)
Inventory: none attached. This brief comes from a public page and does not say whether any deployment is affected.
Severity: Medium (CVSS 5.9)
Exploitation: no confirmed exploitation recorded. Patch Next confirms exploitation only from CISA KEV.
Vendor response: Vendor fix available; fixed versions by package: apostrophe 4.33.0. A vendor fix does not mean a deployment is fixed.

## Affected components
- npm apostrophe: affected < 4.33.0; fixed in 4.33.0

## Suggested inspection (read-only)
- `npm ls apostrophe --all`: lists every installed copy and version, including transitive ones. Run in the project root after `npm ci`.

## Supported action
Upgrade each affected component to a fixed version on its release line. For a transitive dependency, upgrade the parent package or add an override or constraint, then regenerate the lockfile. Redeploy every environment that ran an affected version.

## Required regression checks
- Run the test suite and a production build.
- Exercise the features that depend on apostrophe.
- Repeat the inspection and confirm that only fixed versions remain installed.

## Rollback considerations
- Keep the previous lockfile and deployment artifact. Rolling back reinstates the vulnerable version, so apply any documented mitigation while you fix forward.

## Unresolved questions
- Which deployments run an affected version?
- Exploitation status can change. Check again before lowering the priority.
- Mark the work resolved only after the fixed version is verified in production.

## Sources
- Verified: https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-653j-g8j7-gh54 (GitHub-reviewed advisory GHSA-653j-g8j7-gh54 lists affected ranges: npm apostrophe >=0 <4.33.0)
- Verified: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/GHSA-653j-g8j7-gh54 (OSV record GHSA-653j-g8j7-gh54 lists affected ranges: npm apostrophe >=0 <4.33.0 (fixed))

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