CVE-2023-40027
Conditionally missing authorization in @keystone-6/core
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.
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- High
- Privileges needed
- None
- User interaction
- None
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- Low
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- None
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
CVE List Score used
Conditionally missing authorization in @keystone-6/core
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.
- Record
CVE-2023-40027- CVSS 3.1
- 3.7 Low
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-862
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2023-2257
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.
- Record
EUVD-2023-2257- CVSS 3.1
- 3.7 Low
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N - Updated
- 2026-11-03
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-9cvc-v7wm-992c
When `ui.isAccessAllowed` is `undefined`, the `adminMeta` GraphQL query is publicly accessible
Summary
When ui.isAccessAllowed is undefined, the adminMeta GraphQL query is publicly accessible, that is to say, no session is required for the query.
This is different to the behaviour of the default AdminUI middleware, which by default will only be publicly accessible if a session strategy is not defined.
Impact
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, you are unaffected if ui.isAccessAllowed is defined).
This vulnerability does affect developers who thought 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.
Patches
This vulnerability has been patched in @keystone-6/core version 5.5.1.
Workarounds
You can opt to write your own isAccessAllowed to work-around this vulnerability.
References
Pull request https://github.com/keystonejs/keystone/pull/8771
- Record
GHSA-9cvc-v7wm-992c- CVSS 3.1
- 5.3 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-862
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
NVD
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.
- Record
CVE-2023-40027- CVSS 3.1
- 3.7 Low
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N - CVSS 3.1
- 5.3 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-862
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSV
Conditionally missing authorization in @keystone-6/core
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.
- Record
CVE-2023-40027- CVSS 3.1
- 3.7 Low
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-862
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVGHSA-9cvc-v7wm-992c
When `ui.isAccessAllowed` is `undefined`, the `adminMeta` GraphQL query is publicly accessible
Summary
When ui.isAccessAllowed is undefined, the adminMeta GraphQL query is publicly accessible, that is to say, no session is required for the query.
This is different to the behaviour of the default AdminUI middleware, which by default will only be publicly accessible if a session strategy is not defined.
Impact
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, you are unaffected if ui.isAccessAllowed is defined).
This vulnerability does affect developers who thought 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.
Patches
This vulnerability has been patched in @keystone-6/core version 5.5.1.
Workarounds
You can opt to write your own isAccessAllowed to work-around this vulnerability.
References
Pull request https://github.com/keystonejs/keystone/pull/8771
- Record
GHSA-9cvc-v7wm-992c- CVSS 3.1
- 5.3 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-862
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
Affected packages
| Package | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|
@keystone-6/corenpm |
before 5.5.1 | 5.5.1 |
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| aliases, products, published | EUVD | |
| first indexed | CVE List, GitHub Advisories, NVD, OSV |
Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.
In short
CVE-2023-40027 is a low vulnerability (CVSS 3.7) in Keystonejs Keystone, published August 15, 2023. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.58%, the 47th percentile. Fixed in @keystone-6/core 5.5.1.
References
github.com/keystonejs/keystone/security/advisories/GHSA-9cvc-v7wm-992c
nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-40027