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HAX CMS API Lacks Authorization Checks

High severity GitHub Reviewed Published Jul 25, 2025 in haxtheweb/issues

Package

npm @haxtheweb/haxcms-nodejs (npm)

Affected versions

< 11.0.14

Patched versions

11.0.14
composer elmsln/haxcms (Composer)
< 11.0.14
11.0.14

Description

Summary

The HAX CMS API endpoints do not perform authorization checks when interacting with a resource. Both the JS and PHP versions of the CMS do not verify that a user has permission to interact with a resource before performing a given operation.

Details

The API endpoints within the HAX CMS application check if a user is authenticated, but don't check for authorization before performing an operation.

Affected Resources

Note: This may not include all affected endpoints within the application.

Impact

An authenticated attacker can make requests to interact with other users' sites. This can be used to enumerate, modify, and delete other users' sites and nodes.

Additionally, an authenticated attacker can use the 'getConfig' endpoint to pull the application's configuration, which may store cleartext credentials.

PoC - /deleteNode

  1. Browse to the 'site.json' file for a target site, and note the ID of the item to delete.

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  1. Make a POST request to the 'deleteNode' endpoint with a valid JWT and the target object ID.

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Site before editing:

image

Site after editing:

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References

@btopro btopro published to haxtheweb/issues Jul 25, 2025
Published to the GitHub Advisory Database Jul 25, 2025
Reviewed Jul 25, 2025

Severity

High

CVSS overall score

This score calculates overall vulnerability severity from 0 to 10 and is based on the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS).
/ 10

CVSS v3 base metrics

Attack vector
Network
Attack complexity
Low
Privileges required
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
Low
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS v3 base metrics

Attack vector: More severe the more the remote (logically and physically) an attacker can be in order to exploit the vulnerability.
Attack complexity: More severe for the least complex attacks.
Privileges required: More severe if no privileges are required.
User interaction: More severe when no user interaction is required.
Scope: More severe when a scope change occurs, e.g. one vulnerable component impacts resources in components beyond its security scope.
Confidentiality: More severe when loss of data confidentiality is highest, measuring the level of data access available to an unauthorized user.
Integrity: More severe when loss of data integrity is the highest, measuring the consequence of data modification possible by an unauthorized user.
Availability: More severe when the loss of impacted component availability is highest.
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:H/A:H

EPSS score

Exploit Prediction Scoring System (EPSS)

This score estimates the probability of this vulnerability being exploited within the next 30 days. Data provided by FIRST.
(8th percentile)

Weaknesses

Improper Authorization

The product does not perform or incorrectly performs an authorization check when an actor attempts to access a resource or perform an action. Learn more on MITRE.

Missing Authorization

The product does not perform an authorization check when an actor attempts to access a resource or perform an action. Learn more on MITRE.

CVE ID

CVE-2025-54378

GHSA ID

GHSA-9jr9-8ff3-m894

Source code

No known source code

Credits

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