CVE-2026-113665 in ApostropheCMS
Summary
by MITRE • 10/20/2026
ApostropheCMS is an open-source Node.js content management system. Prior to 4.33.0, the notification module exposes PATCH and DELETE REST endpoints that perform operations directly on the underlying MongoDB collection without verifying that the requester is authenticated or owns the target notification. As a result, an unauthenticated attacker who obtains a valid notification ID can modify or permanently delete another user's notification. This issue is fixed in version 4.33.0.
If you want to get best quality of vulnerability data, you may have to visit VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/20/2026
ApostropheCMS represents a widely utilized open-source content management system built on the Node.js runtime environment, designed to facilitate dynamic web application development and content administration. Within this ecosystem, the notification module serves as a critical component for managing user alerts and communications. However, prior to version 4.33.0, this module contained a significant security flaw related to its handling of RESTful API endpoints. Specifically, the PATCH and DELETE methods exposed by the notification service failed to implement adequate access control mechanisms, allowing direct manipulation of the underlying MongoDB collection without sufficient verification of user identity or resource ownership.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the absence of proper authorization checks within the server-side logic governing these HTTP operations. When a client sends a PATCH request to update a notification's status or a DELETE request to remove it, the application directly translates these actions into database commands targeting specific document identifiers stored in MongoDB. Crucially, the system does not validate whether the authenticated user associated with the current session is the legitimate owner of the targeted notification ID. This design oversight creates an insecure direct object reference scenario where the identifier itself serves as the sole determinant for access permission, bypassing any role-based or ownership-based security controls that should be enforced by the application framework.
From a classification perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-639, which describes Authorization Bypass Through User-Controlled Key, and is also indicative of CWE-284, Improper Access Control. In terms of offensive cybersecurity frameworks such as MITRE ATT&CK, this flaw facilitates the T1078 Valid Accounts technique by allowing an unauthenticated or low-privilege actor to perform actions typically reserved for authorized users. The exploitation vector requires minimal prerequisites; specifically, an attacker only needs to obtain a valid notification ID associated with another user's account. This information can often be gleaned through cross-site scripting attacks that exfiltrate client-side data, via error messages revealing internal identifiers, or by simply enumerating sequential IDs if the system does not employ randomization techniques for database keys.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is substantial regarding both confidentiality and integrity within the application's user experience layer. An unauthenticated attacker can modify another user's notifications to alter their read status, effectively manipulating the perceived activity level or urgency of alerts intended for specific individuals. More critically, the ability to permanently delete these records means that an adversary could erase evidence of communications, remove critical system warnings, or disrupt workflow processes dependent on notification triggers. This lack of integrity control undermines trust in the platform and can lead to significant operational disruptions for organizations relying on ApostropheCMS for their digital infrastructure.
To mitigate this vulnerability, administrators must upgrade the ApostropheCMS installation to version 4.33.0 or later, where the developers have implemented strict authorization checks ensuring that only the authenticated user who owns a specific notification resource is permitted to modify or delete it. In environments where immediate upgrading is not feasible due to compatibility constraints, temporary mitigations should include implementing reverse proxy rules to restrict access to the affected REST endpoints based on IP whitelisting if applicable, although this is less effective against internal threats. Additionally, developers reviewing custom modules within ApostropheCMS should audit their own API implementations for similar patterns of insecure direct object references and ensure that all database operations are preceded by explicit ownership verification logic tied to the current session's user context.