SmartstoreApplication

CVE-2020-15243

CRITICAL · 9.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2020-10-08

Mitigation only

No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.

See remediation →

100/100

Remediation priority · Urgent

Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

Official description

NVD · unedited

Affected versions of Smartstore have a missing WebApi Authentication attribute. This vulnerability affects Smartstore shops in version 4.0.0 & 4.0.1 which have installed and activated the Web API plugin. Users of Smartstore 4.0.0 and 4.0.1 must merge their repository with 4.0.x or overwrite the file SmartStore.Web.Framework in the */bin* directory of the deployed shop with this file. As a workaround without updating uninstall the Web API plugin to close this vulnerability.

Technical summary

dbcve analysis · high confidence

Smartstore versions 4.0.0 and 4.0.1 have a missing WebApi Authentication attribute in the SmartStore.Web.Framework component. This allows unauthenticated access to Web API endpoints when the Web API plugin is installed and activated, exposing sensitive shop functionality without proper authentication.

MitigationApply the vendor fix by either merging repository changes from version 4.0.x or replacing the SmartStore.Web.Framework DLL in the */bin* directory. Alternatively, uninstall the Web API plugin as a workaround until the patch can be applied.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions

NVD · CPE data

SmartstoreApplication

Affected:= 4.0.0= 4.0.1

CVSS breakdown

From the vector

Attack vector: Network
Complexity: Low
Privileges: None
User interaction: None
Scope: Unchanged
Confidentiality: High
Integrity: High
Availability: High

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

Am I affected?

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

Identify Smartstore version

Check the installed version via the admin dashboard (typically visible in the footer or under System > Information), or inspect the bin/SmartStore.Core.dll version properties

Affected if Version is 4.0.0 or 4.0.1 exactly (note: version 4.0.2 and later are NOT affected)
Locate the WebApi plugin

Navigate to Admin > Plugins > All Plugins and search for 'Web API' or 'SmartStore.WebApi', or inspect the /Plugins directory for a WebApi-related folder

Affected if A WebApi plugin folder exists in the /Plugins directory or is listed in the admin plugins page
Verify WebApi plugin is activated

In the admin panel under Plugins > All Plugins, check if the Web API plugin status shows as 'Installed and active' or check the Plugins.config/xml file for an active WebApi entry

Affected if The Web API plugin shows as installed and enabled/active in the system
Confirm missing authentication attribute

Inspect the compiled SmartStore.Web.Framework.dll in the /bin folder using a .NET decompiler (such as dotPeek or ILSpy) and locate the WebApi controller classes; check if they lack the [Authorized] attribute or a custom authentication filter

Affected if WebApi controllers are publicly accessible without any [Authorized] attribute or authentication requirement, indicating the missing security attribute
Test unauthenticated API access (optional)

Using a tool like Postman or curl, send a GET request to a known WebApi endpoint (such as /api/v1/[controller] without providing any authentication headers)

Affected if The API returns HTTP 200 with data rather than HTTP 401 Unauthorized, confirming unauthenticated access is possible

You are affected if running Smartstore 4.0.0 or 4.0.1 AND the Web API plugin is installed and active, allowing unauthenticated access to sensitive API endpoints.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Remediation

dbcve · scoped

Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime

Mitigation

Apply the vendor fix by either merging repository changes from version 4.0.x or replacing the SmartStore.Web.Framework DLL in the */bin* directory. Alternatively, uninstall the Web API plugin as a workaround until the patch can be applied.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

4.0.x branch (e.g., SmartStoreNET 4.0.2 or later)

Ensure you have a complete backup of your Smartstore installation and database before proceeding
Identify whether the Web API plugin is installed and activated in your Smartstore 4.0.0 or 4.0.1 installation
If you have source code access: merge your repository with the 4.0.x branch (e.g., SmartStoreNET/SmartStoreNET on GitHub)
If you do not have source code: download the updated SmartStore.Web.Framework.dll file from the Smartstore 4.0.x release and replace the existing file in the /bin directory of your deployed shop
After applying the fix, verify that the Web API functionality still works correctly
Test authentication on your Web API endpoints to confirm the vulnerability is remediated
Alternatively (workaround only): Navigate to the Plugins section in the Smartstore admin panel, find the Web API plugin, and uninstall it to close the vulnerability without updating

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Smartstore Scoped from the published advisory

Consultation2.0 h
Implementation2.0 h
Testing2.0 h
Review / QA1.0 h

7.0 hours of engineering $1,240

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References

Primary sources

github.comThird Party Advisory
nvd.nist.govNVD record

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2020-15243 in production — separate from our analysis above.

Notes0 Guidelines

Know something about CVE-2020-15243?

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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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here

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

At a glance

A fix existsA vendor remedy is published

Severity 9.8 Critical

Exploit likelihood EPSS, next 30 days 1.2%

Affects: Smartstore

Remediation

A high-priority fix

Fix this in Smartstore 7 hrs · Moderate

Typical engagement from $1,240

Get a fix See the full breakdown ↓

A high-priority vulnerability. Send your environment and a specialist will scope CVE-2020-15243 and return a fixed quote and timeline.

You’ll deal with our team directly and deploy the reviewed fix to staging first — never straight to production.

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.

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.

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.

CVSS 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.

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.

Check your environment

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.

Scan for this in your stack

References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Practitioner notes

No notes yet

Official description

Technical summary

Affected products & versions

CVSS breakdown

Am I affected?

Remediation

References