Strapi may leak sensitive data via relational filtering due to lack of query sanitization
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Network
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Attack requirements
- None
- Impact type
- Information disclosure
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- High · None · None
- Fix status
- Fixed
Attack profile from CVSS 4.0 · CNA. Fix status from CNA and GitHub. Impact type from CWE-200.
Summary
Strapi is an open source headless content management system. Strapi versions starting in 4.0.0 and prior to 5.37.0 did not sufficiently sanitize query parameters when filtering content via relational fields. An unauthenticated attacker could use the `where` query parameter on any publicly-accessible content-type with an `updatedBy` (or other admin-relation) field to perform a boolean-oracle attack against private fields on the joined `admin_users` table, including the `resetPasswordToken` field. Extracting an admin reset token via this oracle made full administrative account takeover possible without authentication. When a filter such as `where[updatedBy][resetPasswordToken][$startsWith]=a` was applied to a public Content API endpoint, the underlying query generation performed a `LEFT JOIN` against the `admin_users` table and emitted a `WHERE` clause referencing the joined column. The query parameter sanitization layer did not block operator chains that traversed into relational target schemas the caller had no read permission on, allowing the response count to be used as a one-bit oracle on any admin-table field. The patch in version 5.37.0 introduces explicit query-parameter sanitization at the controller and service boundary via three new primitives: `strictParam`, `addQueryParams`, and `addBodyParams`. Operator chains that traverse into restricted relational targets are now rejected before reaching the database.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- None
- Automatable
- Yes
- 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strapi | strapi | 4.0.0 to before 5.37.0 | 5.37.0 | Patch available | CNA |
| — | @strapi/strapi (npm) | 4.0.0 to before 5.37.0 | 5.37.0 | Patch available | GHSA-rjg2-95x7-8qmx |
- strapi VendorStrapi Affected 4.0.0 to before 5.37.0 Fixed in 5.37.0 Patch available CNA
- @strapi/strapi (npm) Vendor— Affected 4.0.0 to before 5.37.0 Fixed in 5.37.0 Patch available GHSA-rjg2-95x7-8qmx
Remediation
- Fix · CNA strapi (strapi) Fixed in 5.37.0
- Fix · GHSA-rjg2-95x7-8qmx @strapi/strapi (npm) Fixed in 5.37.0 Advisory →
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-27886
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-rjg2-95x7-8qmx
References
More Strapi vulnerabilities
- TI-2023-09037 Query filter flaw in Strapi exposes sensitive user details KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 7.2
- TI-2019-13554 strapi before 3.0.0-beta.17.5 mishandles password resets within… CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
- TI-2023-19887 Strapi Improper Rate Limiting vulnerability CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
- TI-2023-08803 Strapi through 4.5.5 allows authenticated Server-Side Template Injection (SSTI) that can… CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 10.0
- TI-2024-25161 Strapi v4.24.4 was discovered to contain a Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF) via the… CVSS 3.1HIGH 8.6
- TI-2023-17071 Leaking sensitive user information still possible by filtering on private with prefix fields CVSS 3.1HIGH 8.6
Sources
- CVE-2026-27886 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-27886 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-rjg2-95x7-8qmx · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
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