CVE-2021-41268
Cookie persistence in Symfony
Symfony/SecurityBundle is the security system for Symfony, a PHP framework for web and console applications and a set of reusable PHP components. Since the rework of the Remember me cookie in version 5.3.0, the cookie is not invalidated when the user changes their password. Attackers can therefore maintain their access to the account even if the password is changed as long as they have had the chance to login once and get a valid remember me cookie. Starting with version 5.3.12, Symfony makes the password part of the signature by default. In that way, when the password changes, then the cookie is not valid anymore.
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges needed
- Low
- User interaction
- None
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- None
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
CVE List Score used
Cookie persistence in Symfony
Symfony/SecurityBundle is the security system for Symfony, a PHP framework for web and console applications and a set of reusable PHP components. Since the rework of the Remember me cookie in version 5.3.0, the cookie is not invalidated when the user changes their password. Attackers can therefore maintain their access to the account even if the password is changed as long as they have had the chance to login once and get a valid remember me cookie. Starting with version 5.3.12, Symfony makes the password part of the signature by default. In that way, when the password changes, then the cookie is not valid anymore.
- Record
CVE-2021-41268- CVSS 3.1
- 6.5 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-384
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2021-2384
Symfony/SecurityBundle is the security system for Symfony, a PHP framework for web and console applications and a set of reusable PHP components. Since the rework of the Remember me cookie in version 5.3.0, the cookie is not invalidated when the user changes their password. Attackers can therefore maintain their access to the account even if the password is changed as long as they have had the chance to login once and get a valid remember me cookie. Starting with version 5.3.12, Symfony makes the password part of the signature by default. In that way, when the password changes, then the cookie is not valid anymore.
- Record
EUVD-2021-2384- CVSS 3.1
- 6.5 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N - Updated
- 2026-11-03
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-qw36-p97w-vcqr
Cookie persistence after password changes in symfony/security-bundle
Description
Since the rework of the Remember me cookie in Symfony 5.3, the cookie is not invalidated anymore when the user changes its password.
Attackers can therefore maintain their access to the account even if the password is changed as long as they have had the chance to login once and get a valid remember me cookie.
Resolution
Symfony now makes the password part of the signature by default. In that way, when the password changes then the cookie is not valid anymore.
The patch for this issue is available here for branch 5.3.
Credits
We would like to thank Thibaut Decherit for reporting the issue and Wouter J for fixing the issue.
- Record
GHSA-qw36-p97w-vcqr- CVSS 3.1
- 6.5 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-384
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
NVD
Symfony/SecurityBundle is the security system for Symfony, a PHP framework for web and console applications and a set of reusable PHP components. Since the rework of the Remember me cookie in version 5.3.0, the cookie is not invalidated when the user changes their password. Attackers can therefore maintain their access to the account even if the password is changed as long as they have had the chance to login once and get a valid remember me cookie. Starting with version 5.3.12, Symfony makes the password part of the signature by default. In that way, when the password changes, then the cookie is not valid anymore.
- Record
CVE-2021-41268- CVSS 3.1
- 6.5 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N - CVSS 3.1
- 8.8 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - CVSS 2.0
- 6.5 Medium
AV:N/AC:L/Au:S/C:P/I:P/A:P - Weakness
- CWE-384
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSV
Symfony/SecurityBundle is the security system for Symfony, a PHP framework for web and console applications and a set of reusable PHP components. Since the rework of the Remember me cookie in version 5.3.0, the cookie is not invalidated when the user changes their password. Attackers can therefore maintain their access to the account even if the password is changed as long as they have had the chance to login once and get a valid remember me cookie. Starting with version 5.3.12, Symfony makes the password part of the signature by default. In that way, when the password changes, then the cookie is not valid anymore.
- Record
CVE-2021-41268- CVSS 3.1
- 8.8 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVGHSA-qw36-p97w-vcqr
Cookie persistence after password changes in symfony/security-bundle
Description
Since the rework of the Remember me cookie in Symfony 5.3, the cookie is not invalidated anymore when the user changes its password.
Attackers can therefore maintain their access to the account even if the password is changed as long as they have had the chance to login once and get a valid remember me cookie.
Resolution
Symfony now makes the password part of the signature by default. In that way, when the password changes then the cookie is not valid anymore.
The patch for this issue is available here for branch 5.3.
Credits
We would like to thank Thibaut Decherit for reporting the issue and Wouter J for fixing the issue.
- Record
GHSA-qw36-p97w-vcqr- CVSS 3.1
- 6.5 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-384
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVBIT-symfony-2021-41268 No score
Symfony/SecurityBundle is the security system for Symfony, a PHP framework for web and console applications and a set of reusable PHP components. Since the rework of the Remember me cookie in version 5.3.0, the cookie is not invalidated when the user changes their password. Attackers can therefore maintain their access to the account even if the password is changed as long as they have had the chance to login once and get a valid remember me cookie. Starting with version 5.3.12, Symfony makes the password part of the signature by default. In that way, when the password changes, then the cookie is not valid anymore.
- Record
BIT-symfony-2021-41268- Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
Affected packages
| Package | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|
symfony/security-bundlePackagist |
5.3.0 up to 5.3.12 | 5.3.12 |
symfony/symfonyPackagist |
5.3.0 up to 5.3.12 | 5.3.12 |
symfonyBitnami |
5.3.0 up to 5.3.12 | 5.3.12 |
symfony/security-bundlePackagist |
5.3.0 up to 5.3.12, plus listed versions v5.3.0v5.3.11v5.3.2v5.3.3v5.3.4v5.3.7v5.3.8 |
5.3.12 |
symfony/symfonyPackagist |
5.3.0 up to 5.3.12, plus listed versions v5.3.0v5.3.1v5.3.10v5.3.11v5.3.2 Show 7 moreShow lessv5.3.3v5.3.4v5.3.5v5.3.6v5.3.7v5.3.8v5.3.9 |
5.3.12 |
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-2021-41268 is a medium vulnerability (CVSS 6.5) in Sensiolabs Symfony, published November 24, 2021. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 1.32%, the 71st percentile. Fixed in symfony/security-bundle 5.3.12.
References
github.com/symfony/symfony/security/advisories/GHSA-qw36-p97w-vcqr
nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-41268