TI-2023-20917 Aliases CVE-2023-40027 GHSA-9cvc-v7wm-992c

Conditionally missing authorization in @keystone-6/core

LOW 25CWE-862Published 2023-08-15 · Updated 2024-10-02

Key facts

Attack vector: Network
Privileges required: None
User interaction: None
Attack complexity: Low
Impact type: Security bypass
Confidentiality · integrity · availability: Low · None · None
Fix status: Fixed

Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · NVD. Fix status from CNA and GitHub. Impact type from CWE-862.

Summary

Keystone is an open source headless CMS for Node.js — built with GraphQL and React. When `ui.isAccessAllowed` is set as `undefined`, the `adminMeta` GraphQL query is publicly accessible (no session required). This is different to the behaviour of the default AdminUI middleware, which by default will only be publicly accessible (no session required) if a `session` strategy is not defined. This vulnerability does not affect developers using the `@keystone-6/auth` package, or any users that have written their own `ui.isAccessAllowed` (that is to say, `isAccessAllowed` is not `undefined`). This vulnerability does affect users who believed that their `session` strategy will, by default, enforce that `adminMeta` is inaccessible by the public in accordance with that strategy; akin to the behaviour of the AdminUI middleware. This vulnerability has been patched in `@keystone-6/core` version `5.5.1`. Users are advised to upgrade. Users unable to upgrade may opt to write their own `isAccessAllowed` functionality to work-around this vulnerability.

Why it matters now

Exploitation None reported CISA SSVC · not in CISA KEV

EPSS 0.00579 47th percentileScored 2026-11-07

Fix Fixed keystone (keystonejs): 5.5.1@keystone-6/core (npm): 5.5.1

SSVC decision points

CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3

Exploitation: None
Automatable: No
Technical impact: Partial

The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.

Affected products

Vendor	Product	Affected versions	Fixed in	Status	Source
keystonejs	keystone	before 5.5.1	5.5.1	Patch available	CNA
—	@keystone-6/core (npm)	before 5.5.1	5.5.1	Patch available	GHSA-9cvc-v7wm-992c

keystone Vendorkeystonejs Affected before 5.5.1 Fixed in 5.5.1 Patch available CNA
@keystone-6/core (npm) Vendor— Affected before 5.5.1 Fixed in 5.5.1 Patch available GHSA-9cvc-v7wm-992c

CPE configurations NVD · 1

CPE	Versions	Role	Vendor
cpe:2.3:a:keystonejs:keystone::::::node.js::*	before 5.5.1	Vulnerable	keystonejs

cpe:2.3:a:keystonejs:keystone:*:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:* Versions before 5.5.1 Vulnerable ·keystonejs

Remediation

Fix · CNA keystone (keystonejs) Fixed in 5.5.1
Fix · GHSA-9cvc-v7wm-992c @keystone-6/core (npm) Fixed in 5.5.1 Advisory →

Timeline

2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2023-40027
2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-9cvc-v7wm-992c

References

Patch 3

Advisory 1

https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-40027

Other 2

TI-2022-18756 NODE_ENV in Keystone defaults to development with esbuild CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
TI-2022-18698 @keystone-6/core vulnerable to field-level access-control bypass for multiselect field CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
TI-2017-11626 CSV Injection (aka Excel Macro Injection or Formula Injection) exists in… CVSS 3.0HIGH 8.8
TI-2022-11852 An arbitrary file upload vulnerability in the file upload module of Keystone v4.2.1… CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
TI-2017-12181 KeystoneJS before 4.0.0-beta.7 allows application-wide CSRF bypass by removing the CSRF… CVSS 3.0HIGH 8.8
TI-2015-07619 Credentials management flaw in HackerOne keystone node module CVSS 3.0HIGH 7.5

See all 12 →

Sources

This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences