CVE-2020-15248
Privilege escalation by backend users assigned to the default "Publisher" system role
October is a free, open-source, self-hosted CMS platform based on the Laravel PHP Framework. In October CMS from version 1.0.319 and before version 1.0.470, backend users with the default "Publisher" system role have access to create & manage users where they can choose which role the new user has. This means that a user with "Publisher" access has the ability to escalate their access to "Developer" access. Issue has been patched in Build 470 (v1.0.470) & v1.1.1.
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges needed
- High
- User interaction
- Required
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- Low
- Integrity
- Low
- Availability
- Low
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
CVE List Score used
Privilege escalation by backend users assigned to the default "Publisher" system role
October is a free, open-source, self-hosted CMS platform based on the Laravel PHP Framework. In October CMS from version 1.0.319 and before version 1.0.470, backend users with the default "Publisher" system role have access to create & manage users where they can choose which role the new user has. This means that a user with "Publisher" access has the ability to escalate their access to "Developer" access. Issue has been patched in Build 470 (v1.0.470) & v1.1.1.
- Record
CVE-2020-15248- CVSS 3.1
- 4.0 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L - Weakness
- CWE-863
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2020-1471
October is a free, open-source, self-hosted CMS platform based on the Laravel PHP Framework. In October CMS from version 1.0.319 and before version 1.0.470, backend users with the default "Publisher" system role have access to create & manage users where they can choose which role the new user has. This means that a user with "Publisher" access has the ability to escalate their access to "Developer" access. Issue has been patched in Build 470 (v1.0.470) & v1.1.1.
- Record
EUVD-2020-1471- CVSS 3.1
- 4.0 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L - Updated
- 2026-11-03
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-rfjc-xrmf-5vvw
Privilege escalation by backend users assigned to the default "Publisher" system role
Impact
Backend users with the default "Publisher" system role have access to create & manage users where they can choose which role the new user has. This means that a user with "Publisher" access has the ability to escalate their access to "Developer" access.
Patches
Issue has been patched in Build 470 (v1.0.470) & v1.1.1.
Workarounds
Apply https://github.com/octobercms/october/commit/78a37298a4ed4602b383522344a31e311402d829 to your installation manually if unable to upgrade to Build 470 or v1.1.1.
References
Reported by Hoan Hoang
For more information
If you have any questions or comments about this advisory:
- Email us at [email protected]
Threat assessment:
<img width="1098" alt="Screen Shot 2020-10-10 at 1 37 25 PM" src="https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/7253840/95663611-e6326c80-0afd-11eb-8a1e-8b767a7202fb.png">
- Record
GHSA-rfjc-xrmf-5vvw- CVSS 3.1
- 4.0 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L - Weakness
- CWE-269, CWE-863
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
NVD
October is a free, open-source, self-hosted CMS platform based on the Laravel PHP Framework. In October CMS from version 1.0.319 and before version 1.0.470, backend users with the default "Publisher" system role have access to create & manage users where they can choose which role the new user has. This means that a user with "Publisher" access has the ability to escalate their access to "Developer" access. Issue has been patched in Build 470 (v1.0.470) & v1.1.1.
- Record
CVE-2020-15248- CVSS 3.1
- 4.0 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L - CVSS 3.1
- 4.2 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L - CVSS 2.0
- 4.6 Medium
AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P - Weakness
- CWE-863, CWE-269
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSV
October is a free, open-source, self-hosted CMS platform based on the Laravel PHP Framework. In October CMS from version 1.0.319 and before version 1.0.470, backend users with the default "Publisher" system role have access to create & manage users where they can choose which role the new user has. This means that a user with "Publisher" access has the ability to escalate their access to "Developer" access. Issue has been patched in Build 470 (v1.0.470) & v1.1.1.
- Record
CVE-2020-15248- CVSS 3.1
- 4.2 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L - Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVGHSA-rfjc-xrmf-5vvw
Privilege escalation by backend users assigned to the default "Publisher" system role
Impact
Backend users with the default "Publisher" system role have access to create & manage users where they can choose which role the new user has. This means that a user with "Publisher" access has the ability to escalate their access to "Developer" access.
Patches
Issue has been patched in Build 470 (v1.0.470) & v1.1.1.
Workarounds
Apply https://github.com/octobercms/october/commit/78a37298a4ed4602b383522344a31e311402d829 to your installation manually if unable to upgrade to Build 470 or v1.1.1.
References
Reported by Hoan Hoang
For more information
If you have any questions or comments about this advisory:
- Email us at [email protected]
Threat assessment:
<img width="1098" alt="Screen Shot 2020-10-10 at 1 37 25 PM" src="https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/7253840/95663611-e6326c80-0afd-11eb-8a1e-8b767a7202fb.png">
- Record
GHSA-rfjc-xrmf-5vvw- CVSS 3.1
- 4.0 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L - Weakness
- CWE-269, CWE-863
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
Affected packages
| Package | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|
october/backendPackagist |
1.0.319 up to 1.0.470 | 1.0.470 |
october/backendPackagist |
1.0.319 up to 1.0.470, plus listed versions v1.0.319v1.0.320v1.0.321v1.0.322v1.0.323 Show 45 moreShow lessv1.0.324v1.0.325v1.0.326v1.0.327v1.0.328v1.0.329v1.0.330v1.0.331v1.0.332v1.0.333v1.0.334v1.0.335v1.0.336v1.0.337v1.0.338v1.0.339v1.0.340v1.0.341v1.0.342v1.0.343v1.0.344v1.0.345v1.0.346v1.0.347v1.0.348v1.0.349v1.0.350v1.0.351v1.0.352v1.0.353v1.0.354v1.0.355v1.0.356v1.0.357v1.0.358v1.0.359v1.0.360v1.0.361v1.0.362v1.0.363v1.0.364v1.0.365v1.0.366v1.0.367v1.0.368 |
1.0.470 |
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| aliases | EUVD | |
| first indexed | CVE List, GitHub Advisories, NVD, OSV |
Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.
In short
CVE-2020-15248 is a medium vulnerability (CVSS 4.0) in Octobercms October, published November 23, 2020. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.31%, the 24th percentile. Fixed in october/backend 1.0.470.
References
github.com/octobercms/october/security/advisories/GHSA-rfjc-xrmf-5vvw
nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-15248
Left out here: 101 versions. The JSON record has them.