CVE-2020-35239
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 · uneditedA vulnerability exists in CakePHP versions 4.0.x through 4.1.3. The CsrfProtectionMiddleware component allows method override parameters to bypass CSRF checks by changing the HTTP request method to an arbitrary string that is not in the list of request methods that CakePHP checks. Additionally, the route middleware does not verify that this overriden method (which can be an arbitrary string) is actually an HTTP method.
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 · high confidenceThe CsrfProtectionMiddleware in CakePHP 4.0.x through 4.1.3 fails to validate HTTP method override parameters properly, allowing attackers to bypass CSRF protection by changing the HTTP method to an arbitrary string not in CakePHP's expected methods list. Additionally, the route middleware does not verify that overridden methods are valid HTTP methods.
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>= 4.0.0, <= 4.1.3CVSS 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
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/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.
-
Check installed CakePHP versionRun 'composer show cakephp/cakephp' or inspect composer.lock for 'cakephp/cakephp' version, or check the version constant in vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Core/Configure.phpAffected if version is >= 4.0.0 and <= 4.1.3
-
Verify CsrfProtectionMiddleware is enabledInspect src/Application.php for 'CsrfProtectionMiddleware' in the middleware() method, or check config/middleware.php for CSRF middleware registrationAffected if CsrfProtectionMiddleware is registered and active
-
Check for HTTP method override configurationInspect config/middleware.php or src/Application.php for method override handling, and check config/routes.php for Route::defaultRouteClass() or custom route configurations that handle method overridesAffected if HTTP method override functionality is configured in the application
-
Verify request handler accepts arbitrary method stringsTest by sending a request with an invalid HTTP method header (e.g., X-HTTP-Method-Override: INVALID) to a CSRF-protected endpoint; if the request bypasses CSRF validation, the application is vulnerableAffected if arbitrary method override strings are accepted without validation
The application is affected if running CakePHP 4.0.0-4.1.3 with CsrfProtectionMiddleware enabled and HTTP method override capabilities are in use, allowing attackers to bypass CSRF protection via invalid method strings.
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.
From vendor dataUpgrade CakePHP to version 4.1.4 or later where the vulnerability is patched. Before upgrading in production, test the upgrade in a staging environment to ensure no breaking changes affect the application's functionality.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing8.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $5,504.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2020-35239 — 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-2020-35239 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
Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.
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.
- 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