CVE-2023-44381
October CMS safe mode bypass using Page template injection
October is a Content Management System (CMS) and web platform to assist with development workflow. An authenticated backend user with the editor.cms_pages, editor.cms_layouts, or editor.cms_partials permissions who would normally not be permitted to provide PHP code to be executed by the CMS due to cms.safe_mode being enabled can craft a special request to include PHP code in the CMS template. This issue has been patched in version 3.4.15.
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges needed
- High
- User interaction
- None
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- None
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- None
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
CVE List Score used
October CMS safe mode bypass using Page template injection
October is a Content Management System (CMS) and web platform to assist with development workflow. An authenticated backend user with the editor.cms_pages, editor.cms_layouts, or editor.cms_partials permissions who would normally not be permitted to provide PHP code to be executed by the CMS due to cms.safe_mode being enabled can craft a special request to include PHP code in the CMS template. This issue has been patched in version 3.4.15.
- Record
CVE-2023-44381- CVSS 3.1
- 4.9 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-94
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2023-3012
October is a Content Management System (CMS) and web platform to assist with development workflow. An authenticated backend user with the editor.cms_pages, editor.cms_layouts, or editor.cms_partials permissions who would normally not be permitted to provide PHP code to be executed by the CMS due to cms.safe_mode being enabled can craft a special request to include PHP code in the CMS template. This issue has been patched in version 3.4.15.
- Record
EUVD-2023-3012- CVSS 3.1
- 4.9 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N - Updated
- 2026-11-03
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-q22j-5r3g-9hmh
October CMS safe mode bypass using Page template injection
Impact
An authenticated backend user with the editor.cms_pages, editor.cms_layouts, or editor.cms_partials permissions who would normally not be permitted to provide PHP code to be executed by the CMS due to cms.safe_mode being enabled can craft a special request to include PHP code in the CMS template.
This is not a problem for anyone who trusts their users with those permissions to usually write & manage PHP within the CMS by not having cms.safe_mode enabled. Still, it would be a problem for anyone relying on cms.safe_mode to ensure that users with those permissions in production do not have access to write and execute arbitrary PHP.
Patches
This issue has been patched in v3.4.15.
Workarounds
As a workaround, remove the specified permissions from untrusted users.
References
Credits to:
For more information
If you have any questions or comments about this advisory:
- Email us at [email protected]
- Record
GHSA-q22j-5r3g-9hmh- CVSS 3.1
- 4.9 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-94
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
NVD
October is a Content Management System (CMS) and web platform to assist with development workflow. An authenticated backend user with the editor.cms_pages, editor.cms_layouts, or editor.cms_partials permissions who would normally not be permitted to provide PHP code to be executed by the CMS due to cms.safe_mode being enabled can craft a special request to include PHP code in the CMS template. This issue has been patched in version 3.4.15.
- Record
CVE-2023-44381- CVSS 3.1
- 4.9 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-94
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVGHSA-q22j-5r3g-9hmh
October CMS safe mode bypass using Page template injection
Impact
An authenticated backend user with the editor.cms_pages, editor.cms_layouts, or editor.cms_partials permissions who would normally not be permitted to provide PHP code to be executed by the CMS due to cms.safe_mode being enabled can craft a special request to include PHP code in the CMS template.
This is not a problem for anyone who trusts their users with those permissions to usually write & manage PHP within the CMS by not having cms.safe_mode enabled. Still, it would be a problem for anyone relying on cms.safe_mode to ensure that users with those permissions in production do not have access to write and execute arbitrary PHP.
Patches
This issue has been patched in v3.4.15.
Workarounds
As a workaround, remove the specified permissions from untrusted users.
References
Credits to:
For more information
If you have any questions or comments about this advisory:
- Email us at [email protected]
- Record
GHSA-q22j-5r3g-9hmh- CVSS 3.1
- 4.9 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-94
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
Affected packages
| Package | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|
october/systemPackagist |
3.0.0 up to 3.4.15 | 3.4.15 |
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-2023-44381 is a medium vulnerability (CVSS 4.9) in Octobercms October, published November 29, 2023. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.51%, the 43rd percentile. Fixed in october/system 3.4.15.