CVE-2021-27916
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 · uneditedPrior to the patched version, logged in users of Mautic are vulnerable to Relative Path Traversal/Arbitrary File Deletion. Regardless of the level of access the Mautic user had, they could delete files other than those in the media folders such as system files, libraries or other important files. This vulnerability exists in the implementation of the GrapesJS builder in Mautic.
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 confidenceAuthenticated users can exploit a relative path traversal vulnerability in Mautic's GrapesJS builder to delete arbitrary files on the server, bypassing intended restrictions that should limit file deletion to media folders only.
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>= 3.3.0, < 4.4.12>= 5.0.0, < 5.0.4CVSS 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
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- None
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/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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Identify installed Mautic versionLocate the version file or check the admin dashboard 'System Info' page for the exact Mautic version numberAffected if The version falls within 3.3.0 to 4.4.11 OR 5.0.0 to 5.0.3
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Confirm GrapesJS builder is accessibleVerify that the GrapesJS email/landing page builder plugin is enabled in Mautic configuration and accessible to user rolesAffected if The GrapesJS builder feature is enabled and available to authenticated users in the environment
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Check for file deletion functionality in GrapesJSInspect the GrapesJS builder component for file/media deletion endpoints or examine server access logs for file deletion requests using relative path patternsAffected if The file deletion interface within GrapesJS builder is exposed to authenticated users
The environment is affected if Mautic version is 3.3.0 through 4.4.11 or 5.0.0 through 5.0.3 AND the GrapesJS builder with file deletion capability is enabled for authenticated users
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 · scoped4.4.125.0.4
Upgrade Mautic to the patched version that addresses this vulnerability.
Mautic 4.4.12 or 5.0.4 (depending on your current major version)
- Backup the Mautic database and all application files
- Review the official Mautic upgrade documentation at https://docs.mautic.org/en/upgrade
- Determine your current major version (3.x, 4.x, or 5.x) to select the correct upgrade path
- For Mautic 3.x/4.x: Upgrade to version 4.4.12
- For Mautic 5.x: Upgrade to version 5.0.4
- Test the upgrade in a staging environment before deploying to production
- After upgrade, verify the GrapesJS builder functionality works correctly
- Confirm the vulnerability is fixed by attempting the previously vulnerable operation
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 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 $6,656.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2021-27916 — 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-2021-27916 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