Craft CMS versions before 5.10.11 fail to validate admin status in the actionGetPasswordResetUrl endpoint, allowing non-admin users with administrateU...
Description
Craft CMS versions before 5.10.11 fail to validate admin status in the actionGetPasswordResetUrl endpoint, allowing non-admin users with administrateUsers permission to mint password reset URLs for administrator accounts. Attackers can generate a valid reset URL for any admin user and set a new password via actionSetPassword, which validates only the verification code without checking the caller's session, enabling complete control-panel takeover.
AI Analyst Comment
Remediation
Apply vendor security updates immediately. Monitor for exploitation attempts and review access logs.
Description Summary:
Craft CMS versions prior to 5.10.11 contain an authorization flaw allowing authenticated users with specific permissions to reset administrator passwords and achieve full control-panel takeover.
Executive Summary:
A critical authorization bypass in Craft CMS allows authenticated users with administrative permissions to escalate privileges and gain full control over the application.
Vulnerability Details
CVE-ID: CVE-2026-84801
Affected Software: Craft CMS
Affected Versions: 5.0.0-RC1 up to (excluding) 5.10.11
Vulnerability: The application fails to perform adequate authorization checks within the actionGetPasswordResetUrl and actionSetPassword endpoints. An attacker with existing administrateUsers permissions can generate password reset tokens for administrator accounts, effectively bypassing session validation to hijack administrative sessions.
Business Impact
The ability to perform a complete control-panel takeover represents a significant risk to organizational integrity and data confidentiality. With a CVSS score of 8.8, this high-severity vulnerability allows an attacker to gain full administrative access, leading to potential data exfiltration, unauthorized configuration changes, and complete compromise of the underlying application infrastructure.
Remediation Plan
Immediate Action: Update Craft CMS to version 5.10.11 or later immediately to incorporate the necessary authorization checks.
Proactive Monitoring: Review system access logs for unusual password reset activity or unauthorized administrative logins occurring outside of standard operational windows.
Compensating Controls: Implement strict Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to monitor and block abnormal requests targeting the actionGetPasswordResetUrl and actionSetPassword endpoints.
Exploitation Status
Public Exploit Available: Unknown.
Analyst Notes: As of September 3, 2026, there is no public information indicating active exploitation or a public proof-of-concept for this vulnerability. The flaw's exploitability is limited by the requirement for an attacker to possess the administrateUsers permission, though the impact of such access is total.
Analyst Recommendation
Given the potential for complete administrative takeover, this vulnerability poses a severe threat to any organization utilizing Craft CMS. Administrators must prioritize patching their environments to version 5.10.11 or higher. Until the update is applied, ensure that account permissions are strictly audited and limited to trusted personnel to reduce the surface area for potential exploitation.