CVE-2021-32648
October CMS Improper Authentication
Description
CVE-2021-32648 is a high-severity improper authentication vulnerability in October CMS, a content management system built on the Laravel PHP Framework. In affected versions of the october/system package, an attacker can request an account password reset and then gain access to the account using a specially crafted request, effectively bypassing the authentication mechanism. CISA has added CVE-2021-32648 to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, confirming active exploitation in the wild. With an EPSS score of 93.04% (99.8th percentile), this October CMS vulnerability has a near-certain probability of exploitation, making immediate patching essential for all affected installations.
KEV Information
CVSS Score
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:L/A:NOpen in CalculatorAffected Products
| Vendor | Product | Version |
|---|---|---|
| octobercms | october | >= 1.1.1, < 1.1.5; 1.0.471 |
Multiple CVSS Assessments
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:L/A:N
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N
References
- https://github.com/octobercms/library/commit/016a297b1bec55d2e53bc889458ed2cb5c3e9374(Patch)
- https://github.com/octobercms/library/commit/5bd1a28140b825baebe6becd4f7562299d3de3b9(Patch)
- https://github.com/octobercms/october/security/advisories/GHSA-mxr5-mc97-63rc(Patch, Vendor Advisory)
- https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2021-32648(US Government Resource)
Weakness Type
CWE-287: Improper Authentication
Improper Authentication occurs when software does not sufficiently prove that an actor claiming a given identity is who they claim to be. In the case of CVE-2021-32648, the October CMS password reset mechanism fails to properly validate requests, allowing an attacker to craft a request that bypasses the authentication process and gains unauthorized access to user accounts.
Learn more: CWE-287 — Improper Authentication
Impact Analysis
CVE-2021-32648 carries a CVSS 3.1 score of 9.1 (CRITICAL) from NVD, reflecting a severe authentication bypass threat. The vulnerability is remotely exploitable over the network with low attack complexity, requires no authentication or user interaction, making it trivially exploitable by any remote attacker. Confidentiality (High): Successful exploitation grants full unauthorized access to user accounts, exposing all data stored within the October CMS platform including administrative credentials, user data, and content. Integrity (Low to High): Attackers can modify account settings, content, and potentially escalate to administrative access depending on the targeted account. The EPSS score of 93.04% places this vulnerability in the 99.8th percentile, indicating near-certain exploitation activity in the wild. Organizations running unpatched October CMS instances face significant risk of account takeover and data breach.
Exploit Maturity
CISA has confirmed active exploitation of CVE-2021-32648 by adding it to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, with a remediation deadline of 2022-02-01 for federal agencies. The EPSS score of 93.04% (99.8th percentile) indicates near-certain exploitation activity, reflecting widespread attacker interest in this authentication bypass. While the NVD references include patch commits and the vendor advisory from GitHub Security Advisory GHSA-mxr5-mc97-63rc, the simplicity of the attack vector and the high-value target of CMS authentication make this vulnerability particularly attractive to threat actors seeking to compromise web applications.
Remediation
- Apply vendor patches immediately as required by CISA KEV. Update October CMS to Build 472 or version 1.1.5 or later, which contain the fix for CVE-2021-32648.
- Verify all October CMS installations are running patched versions. Affected versions include october/october >= 1.1.1 and < 1.1.5, as well as build 1.0.471 and earlier.
- Review account activity logs for signs of unauthorized access or suspicious password reset requests that may indicate prior exploitation of this authentication bypass.
- Implement additional authentication hardening measures including multi-factor authentication (MFA) for all administrative accounts, rate limiting on password reset endpoints, and monitoring for anomalous login patterns.
- Restrict network access to the CMS administrative interface using firewall rules and IP allowlisting to reduce the attack surface while patching is in progress.
Technical Details
CVE-2021-32648 exploits a flaw in the October CMS password reset mechanism within the october/system package. The vulnerability allows an attacker to initiate a standard password reset flow and then craft a specially formed HTTP request that bypasses the token validation step, granting direct access to the targeted account. The CVSS vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N confirms that the attack is network-based with no prerequisites, though the scope remains unchanged to the vulnerable component. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-287 (Improper Authentication), where the authentication logic insufficiently validates the password reset flow, allowing the claimed identity to be accepted without proper proof. The patch addresses this by properly validating reset tokens in commits 016a297b and 5bd1a281 to the octobercms/library repository.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2021-32648 being actively exploited?
Yes. CVE-2021-32648 is listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, confirming active exploitation in the wild. The EPSS score of 93.04% (99.8th percentile) further indicates near-certain exploitation probability, making this a high-priority vulnerability to remediate.
What products are affected by CVE-2021-32648?
CVE-2021-32648 affects October CMS (octobercms/october) versions >= 1.1.1 and < 1.1.5, as well as build 1.0.471 and earlier. The vulnerability resides in the october/system package and was patched in Build 472 and version 1.1.5.
How do I fix CVE-2021-32648?
Update October CMS to Build 472 or version 1.1.5 or later. If immediate patching is not possible, implement network-level access controls to restrict access to the CMS administrative interface and enable multi-factor authentication for all accounts.
How severe is CVE-2021-32648?
CVE-2021-32648 has a CVSS 3.1 score of 9.1 (CRITICAL) from NVD and 8.2 (HIGH) from the vendor advisory. The vulnerability allows unauthenticated remote attackers to bypass authentication with no user interaction required, and the EPSS score of 93.04% places it in the 99.8th percentile for exploitation probability.
Need Help With Vulnerability Management?
Our security experts can help you prioritize and remediate vulnerabilities effectively.