CVE-2021-45038
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 · uneditedAn issue was discovered in MediaWiki before 1.35.5, 1.36.x before 1.36.3, and 1.37.x before 1.37.1. By using an action=rollback query, attackers can view private wiki contents.
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 confidenceMediaWiki versions before 1.35.5, 1.36.3, and 1.37.1 contain an information disclosure vulnerability where the action=rollback query parameter can be exploited to view private wiki contents that should be restricted to authorized users.
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< 1.35.5>= 1.36.0, < 1.36.3>= 1.37.0, < 1.37.1CVSS 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
- Low
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N
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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Check MediaWiki versionOpen includes/Defines.php or includes/AutoLoader.php and look for the $wgVersion variable, or query the API at /api.php?action=query&meta=siteinfo&siprop=generalAffected if The installed version is less than 1.35.5, OR between 1.36.0 and 1.36.2 inclusive, OR between 1.37.0 and 1.37.0 inclusive
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Verify rollback feature is accessibleConfirm the wiki has users with rollback rights by checking Special:ListGroupRights or reviewing $wgGroupPermissions in LocalSettings.php for the 'rollback' permissionAffected if The rollback feature is granted to any user role (even restricted ones) on the wiki
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Confirm private content existsReview whether the wiki contains restricted pages, such as those protected with 'autoconfirmed' or higher protection levels, or pages in restricted namespacesAffected if The wiki hosts content that should be visible only to authorized users and the version is in the affected range
If the installed MediaWiki version falls within the affected ranges (< 1.35.5, 1.36.0-1.36.2, or 1.37.0) AND the wiki contains restricted content accessible to users with rollback rights, the environment is vulnerable to CVE-2021-45038.
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 · scoped1.35.51.36.31.37.1
Upgrade MediaWiki to version 1.35.5, 1.36.3, 1.37.1 or later to apply the security patch that fixes the unauthorized content disclosure via rollback queries.
1.35.5, 1.36.3, or 1.37.1 (or latest stable 1.38.x)
- 1. Create a full backup of your MediaWiki database
- 2. Create a full backup of your MediaWiki files and configuration
- 3. Download the appropriate MediaWiki release (1.35.5, 1.36.3, or 1.37.1 or later) from www.mediawiki.org
- 4. Extract the new MediaWiki files and replace the existing installation files
- 5. Run the maintenance/update.php script to apply database schema changes: php maintenance/update.php
- 6. Clear all MediaWiki caches (can be done via maintenance script or admin interface)
- 7. Verify the installation is working and the vulnerability is resolved
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation1.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,664.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2021-45038 — 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-2021-45038 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