Prototype pollution in ApostropheCMS db-connect causes service outage
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Network
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- Denial of service
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- None · Low · High
- Fix status
- Fixed
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CNA. Fix status from CNA and GitHub. Impact type from CWE-400.
Summary
ApostropheCMS before 4.33.0 and @apostrophecms/db-connect before 1.1.0 are affected. A projection exclusion path can traverse a constructor prototype chain to a shared prototype member, which the unsetNestedField helper then deletes (CWE-1321). An authenticated account with view-draft access can trigger this with the SQLite, PostgreSQL, or multipostgres adapter when a matching document exists, causing persistent process-wide integrity and availability effects. The default MongoDB adapter is not affected.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-11-06
Description from the CNA
ApostropheCMS is an open-source Node.js content management system. Prior to 1.1.0 of db-connect and 4.33.0 of ApostropheCMS, an account with view-draft access can submit a projection exclusion path that traverses through a constructor prototype chain to a shared prototype member when a consumer uses a SQLite, PostgreSQL, or multipostgres adapter and has a matching document. Every editing role has view-draft access, while guestApiAccess broadens this prerequisite to any logged-in account. The unsetNestedField helper then deletes the shared runtime member, causing persistent process-wide integrity and availability effects; the default MongoDB adapter is not affected. This issue is fixed in db-connect 1.1.0 and ApostropheCMS 4.33.0.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- Poc
- 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| apostrophecms | apostrophe | before 4.33.0 | 4.33.0 | Patch available | CNA |
| apostrophecms | db-connect | before 1.1.0 | 1.1.0 | Patch available | CNA |
| — | @apostrophecms/db-connect (npm) | before 1.1.0 | 1.1.0 | Patch available | GHSA-j5rq-xfvr-p969 |
| — | apostrophe (npm) | before 4.33.0 | 4.33.0 | Patch available | GHSA-j5rq-xfvr-p969 |
- apostrophe Vendorapostrophecms Affected before 4.33.0 Fixed in 4.33.0 Patch available CNA
- db-connect Vendorapostrophecms Affected before 1.1.0 Fixed in 1.1.0 Patch available CNA
- @apostrophecms/db-connect (npm) Vendor— Affected before 1.1.0 Fixed in 1.1.0 Patch available GHSA-j5rq-xfvr-p969
- apostrophe (npm) Vendor— Affected before 4.33.0 Fixed in 4.33.0 Patch available GHSA-j5rq-xfvr-p969
CPE names Threatist (inferred) · 1
Inferred from how NVD named this product before; not given by a source.
| CPE | Versions | Role | Vendor |
|---|---|---|---|
| cpe:2.3:a:apostrophecms:apostrophecms:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | — | — | apostrophecms |
- cpe:2.3:a:apostrophecms:apostrophecms:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions — — ·apostrophecms
Remediation
Upgrade ApostropheCMS to 4.33.0 and @apostrophecms/db-connect to 1.1.0.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-11-06
- Fix · CNA apostrophe (apostrophecms) Fixed in 4.33.0
- Fix · CNA db-connect (@apostrophecms) Fixed in 1.1.0
- Fix · GHSA-j5rq-xfvr-p969 @apostrophecms/db-connect (npm) Fixed in 1.1.0 Advisory →
- Fix · GHSA-j5rq-xfvr-p969 apostrophe (npm) Fixed in 4.33.0 Advisory →
Vendor assessments
Timeline
- 2026-10-20 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-113666
- 2026-10-20 CISA SSVC decision points changed
- 2026-10-21 Alias added: GHSA-j5rq-xfvr-p969
- 2026-10-21 Fix available: npm/@apostrophecms/[email protected], npm/[email protected] · GHSA-j5rq-xfvr-p969
- 2026-10-21 CVSS score added · GHSA-j5rq-xfvr-p969
- 2026-10-21 Weakness changed · GHSA-j5rq-xfvr-p969
- 2026-10-21 6 new references · GHSA-j5rq-xfvr-p969
- 2026-11-06 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
- 2026-11-06 CVSS score added · Red Hat
References
Other 6
- https://github.com/apostrophecms/apostrophe/security/advisories/GHSA-j5rq-xfvr-p969
- https://github.com/apostrophecms/apostrophe/commit/9500b8b0e1d630d5e07fbb5fd2c25ed0943845ce
- https://github.com/apostrophecms/apostrophe/commit/f84fd41cbf6c22eb8d0008fc9c25df1f7130b350
- https://github.com/apostrophecms/apostrophe/releases/tag/@apostrophecms/[email protected]
- https://github.com/apostrophecms/apostrophe/releases/tag/[email protected]
- https://github.com/apostrophecms/apostrophe
More apostrophecms vulnerabilities
- TI-2026-25223 ApostropheCMS has Arbitrary File Write (Zip Slip / Path Traversal) in Import-Export Gzip Extraction CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 10.0
- TI-2026-32848 Apostrophe has default XSS via `xmp` raw-text passthrough in `sanitize-html` CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.3
- TI-2026-38664 @apostrophecms/seo Vulnerable to Stored XSS via Unsanitized Google Analytics / GTM ID Injected into Script Tag CVSS 3.1HIGH 8.7
- TI-2026-27673 ApostropheCMS: Stored XSS in SEO Fields Leads to Authenticated API Data Exposure in ApostropheCMS CVSS 3.1HIGH 8.7
- TI-2026-76992 Unauthenticated resource exhaustion via ApostropheCMS import routes CVSS 3.1HIGH 7.5
- TI-2026-76974 ApostropheCMS leaves rejected CSV uploads in temporary directory CVSS 3.1HIGH 7.5
Sources
- CVE-2026-113666 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-113666 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-j5rq-xfvr-p969 · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2026-113666 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences