CVE-2019-14771
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedBackdrop CMS 1.12.x before 1.12.8 and 1.13.x before 1.13.3 allows the upload of entire-site configuration archives through the user interface or command line. It does not sufficiently check uploaded archives for invalid data, potentially allowing non-configuration scripts to be uploaded to the server. (This attack is mitigated by the attacker needing the "Synchronize, import, and export configuration" permission, a permission that only trusted administrators should be given. Other preventative measures in Backdrop CMS prevent the execution of PHP scripts, so another server-side scripting language must be accessible on the server to execute code.) Note: This has been disputed by multiple 3rd parties due to advanced permissions that are needed to exploit.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · moderate confidenceBackdrop CMS versions prior to 1.12.8 and 1.13.3 contain a file upload vulnerability in the configuration archive import feature. The system does not sufficiently validate uploaded configuration archives, potentially allowing arbitrary script files to be uploaded to the server. Exploitation requires the high-privilege 'Synchronize, import, and export configuration' permission and assumes another server-side scripting language is accessible on the server.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data>= 1.12.0, < 1.12.8>= 1.13.0, < 1.13.3CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Determine installed Backdrop CMS versionLocate the version.php file in the Backdrop root directory (usually includes/version.php) or check the admin dashboard at /admin/reports/status for the CMS versionAffected if Installed version is 1.12.0 through 1.12.7, or 1.13.0 through 1.13.2 (the vulnerable versions)
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Identify roles with configuration import permissionNavigate to /admin/people/permissions and look for the 'Synchronize, import, and export configuration' permission. Note which roles have this permission enabledAffected if Any role other than the super administrator has this permission enabled
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Verify user accounts with elevated permissionsCheck /admin/people to list all user accounts, then review which accounts are assigned to roles containing the configuration import permissionAffected if Any user account exists with a role that includes the 'Synchronize, import, and export configuration' permission
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Confirm configuration import feature is accessibleAccess /admin/config/system/config-manager or attempt to reach the configuration import interface at /admin/config/development/configurationAffected if The configuration import interface is accessible and functional on the site
You are affected if your Backdrop CMS version falls within 1.12.0-1.12.7 or 1.13.0-1.13.2 AND any user role with the 'Synchronize, import, and export configuration' permission is assigned to a user account.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
dbcve · scoped1.12.81.13.3
Restrict the 'Synchronize, import, and export configuration' permission to only highly trusted administrators, ensure no unintended server-side scripting languages are accessible, and upgrade to Backdrop CMS 1.12.8+ or 1.13.3+ which contains improved archive validation.
Backdrop CMS 1.12.8, 1.13.3, or later (preferably latest stable release)
- Identify the current Backdrop CMS version in use (typically found in the admin dashboard or CHANGELOG.txt)
- Backup the entire site including database and files
- Upgrade to Backdrop CMS 1.12.8 or later (for 1.12.x installations)
- Alternatively, upgrade to Backdrop CMS 1.13.3 or later (for 1.13.x installations)
- Alternatively, upgrade to the latest stable release (1.14.x or higher) which contains all security fixes
- After upgrade, verify the configuration synchronization functionality works correctly
- Ensure only trusted administrators retain the 'Synchronize, import, and export configuration' permission
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation3.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $4,800.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2019-14771 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2019-14771 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data