CVE-2026-113666 — ApostropheCMS: Authenticated projection-exclusion prototype-member deletion in @apostrophecms/db-connect causes process-wide denial of service
ApostropheCMS is an open-source Node.js content management system. Prior to 1.1.0 of db-connect and 4.33.0 of ApostropheCMS, an account with view-draft access can submit a projection exclusion path that traverses through a constructor prototype chain to a shared prototype member when a consumer uses a SQLite, PostgreSQL, or multipostgres adapter and has a matching document. Every editing role has view-draft access, while guestApiAccess broadens this prerequisite to any logged-in account. The unsetNestedField helper then deletes the shared runtime member, causing persistent process-wide integrity and availability effects; the default MongoDB adapter is not affected. This issue is fixed in db-connect 1.1.0 and ApostropheCMS 4.33.0.
Who exploits it and how urgent it is
A 0–100 score combining confirmed exploitation, ransomware and APT use, public exploits, EPSS and severity.
How the score was calculated
- Technical severity (high)+6
- CISA SSVC: exploitation "poc"+5
The score orders the patch queue; it does not replace your asset context (internet exposure, criticality, compensating controls).
Triage
Is it exploited, how likely is exploitation, what does it touch, and how severe do the sources call it.
CISA SSVC assessment CISA
Three decision points CISA publishes for the CVEs it assesses (SSVC 2.0.3). A stakeholder decision, not a severity score.
Remediation
Fixes and mitigations documented by the sources — linked to the original advisory.
- Npm Apostrophe: fixed in version 4.33.0 — github.com (GitHub Security Advisories)
- Npm @apostrophecms/db-connect: fixed in version 1.1.0 — github.com (GitHub Security Advisories)
First 24 hours
Ordered from the record’s own fields — exposure first, because you cannot patch what you have not found. A rule-generated starting point.
- Identify exposed assets running the affected vendor/product/version combinations (Apostrophecms Apostrophe, Apostrophecms Db-connect, Npm @apostrophecms/db-connect…).
- Apply the fixed version or the patch documented under Remediation.
- Search available logs for exploit probes matching the vulnerability class (denial of service), errors and authentication anomalies.
Affected scope
Vendor, product and versions as the sources word them.
| Vendor | Product | Versions | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apostrophecms | Apostrophe | version < 4.33.0 | Vulnerable | CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
| Apostrophecms | Db-connect | version < 1.1.0 | Vulnerable | CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
| Npm | @apostrophecms/db-connect | < 1.1.0 | Vulnerable | GitHub Security Advisories |
| Npm | Apostrophe | < 4.33.0 | Vulnerable | GitHub Security Advisories |
Attack characteristics
The CVSS vector, decoded. It describes the attack, not your exposure to it.
Every base score collected
Sources score independently and may disagree; each row says who scored it and under which version.
| Score | Version | Severity | Expl. | Impact | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7.1 | CVSS 3.1 | High | 2.8 | 4.2 | security-advisories@github.com via NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| 7.1 | CVSS 3.1 | High | — | — | GitHub, Inc. via GitHub Security Advisories |
| 7.1 | CVSS 3.1 | High | — | — | GitHub_M via CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:H (score shown at the top: security-advisories@github.com) Weakness MITRE
Weakness class according to MITRE’s CWE catalog.
Detection
Read off the CVSS vector and the weakness class. Starting points, not tested rules.
- Prioritize edge telemetry for the network-reachable component (proxy, WAF, IDS/IPS).
- Track CPU/memory spikes and availability drops correlated with request patterns.
Timeline
What happened to this CVE, newest first.
- 2026
- Source status changed · Received → Deferred
- Fix documented
- Affected products added · npm/@apostrophecms/db-connect, npm/apostrophe
- Affected products added · apostrophecms/apostrophe, @apostrophecms/db-connect
- SSVC assessment updated
- Record published
- CVSS changed · 7.1
- Source status changed · → Received
- Record created in this database
- CVE published
Source activity
Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.
- 2× References added · Oct 20, 2026 – Oct 20, 2026
- 1× Official description updated · Oct 20, 2026 – Oct 20, 2026
References
6 on the record
- github.com/advisories/GHSA-j5rq-xfvr-p969
- github.com/apostrophecms/apostrophe/security/advisories/GHSA-j5rq-xfvr-p969
- github.com/apostrophecms/apostrophe/commit/f84fd41cbf6c22eb8d0008fc9c25df1f7130b
- github.com/apostrophecms/apostrophe/releases/tag/@apostrophecms/db-connect@1.1.0
- github.com/apostrophecms/apostrophe/commit/9500b8b0e1d630d5e07fbb5fd2c25ed094384
- github.com/apostrophecms/apostrophe/releases/tag/apostrophe@4.33.0
Elsewhere on this site
Related CVEs (same products)
- High CVE-2026-113711 ApostropheCMS: Unauthenticated resource exhaustion via pre-auth aposBigUpload processing in @apostrophecms/import-export 12h
- Medium CVE-2026-113710 ApostropheCMS: No Attempt Throttling on Authenticated Password-Change Endpoint Enables Unlimited Current-Password Guessing 12h
- Medium CVE-2026-113669 ApostropheCMS: Cross-domain session token in URL confers session takeover 12h
- Medium CVE-2026-113667 ApostropheCMS: CAPTCHA response token not URL-encoded 12h
- Medium CVE-2026-113668 ApostropheCMS: :_id/locales REST route omits the public-API authorization gate its sibling read routes enforce (unauthenticated doc-existence + locale metadata disclosure) 12h
- Medium CVE-2026-113670 ApostropheCMS: Page REST API authorization bypass 12h
Not in any source we poll
Listed rather than left blank: an empty field and an unmeasured one look identical on screen, and only one is a reason to look elsewhere.
- No FIRST EPSS score.
- No confirmed IOCs, IP addresses, domains, file hashes, or malware artifacts supplied.
- No organization-specific asset inventory, compensating-control status, or patch deployment evidence supplied.
- No exploit packet captures, log samples, or incident case IDs supplied.
Answered from this record
Text assembled only from the fields above — no additional claims.
What should defenders know first?
CVE-2026-113666 is "ApostropheCMS: Authenticated projection-exclusion prototype-member deletion in @apostrophecms/db-connect causes process-wide denial of service", rated High. It affects Apostrophe (Apostrophecms); versions are in the scope table. It is not in CISA KEV, which does not rule out exploitation. CVSS 7.1 describes technical severity. First verify whether exposed or business-critical assets run the affected versions, apply vendor fixes or mitigations, and preserve logs for review.
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