TYPO3CMS
CVE-2022-23503
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 · uneditedTYPO3 is an open source PHP based web content management system. Versions prior to 8.7.49, 9.5.38, 10.4.33, 11.5.20, and 12.1.1 are vulnerable to Code Injection. Due to the lack of separating user-submitted data from the internal configuration in the Form Designer backend module, it is possible to inject code instructions to be processed and executed via TypoScript as PHP code. The existence of individual TypoScript instructions for a particular form item and a valid backend user account with access to the form module are needed to exploit this vulnerability. This issue is patched in versions 8.7.49 ELTS, 9.5.38 ELTS, 10.4.33, 11.5.20, 12.1.1.
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 confidenceTYPO3 versions prior to 8.7.49, 9.5.38, 10.4.33, 11.5.20, and 12.1.1 are vulnerable to code injection in the Form Designer backend module. Due to insufficient separation between user-submitted data and internal configuration, attackers with valid backend access can inject malicious TypoScript instructions that are processed and executed as PHP code.
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
TYPO3CMS
>= 8.0.0, < 8.7.49>= 9.0.0, < 9.5.38>= 10.0.0, < 10.4.33>= 11.0.0, < 11.5.20>= 12.0.0, < 12.1.1CVSS 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
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/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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Identify installed TYPO3 versionLocate the VERSION file in the TYPO3 installation root directory or check the version in the TYPO3 Install Tool (typo3/install). The version number is typically stored in the VERSION file or can be retrieved via the backend admin tool.Affected if The installed version falls within the affected ranges: < 8.7.49, < 9.5.38, < 10.4.33, < 11.5.20, or < 12.1.1.
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Verify Form Designer module is accessibleLog into the TYPO3 backend and navigate to the module list. The Form Designer is typically found under the Web section as 'Form' or 'Form Designer'. Confirm whether this module is present and available to your user account.Affected if The Form Designer backend module is installed and accessible to the backend user.
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Review backend user permissions for Form DesignerIn the TYPO3 backend, go to the User Management section (Admin Tools > Users) and examine which backend users or groups have access rights to the Form Designer module. Check the module access permissions assigned to each user account.Affected if There exist backend user accounts with access to the Form Designer module, especially if those accounts are not limited to highly trusted administrators.
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Inspect Form Designer configuration storageThe Form Designer stores user-created forms and their configurations in the database, typically in tables related to the form extension (such as tx_form_*). Review any custom TypoScript or form configurations that may have been created through the Form Designer module.Affected if There are existing Form Designer configurations in the system, as these would be the vectors through which malicious TypoScript could be injected.
You are affected if your TYPO3 installation version is below the fixed releases AND you have the Form Designer module enabled with backend user accounts that can access it.
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 · scoped8.7.499.5.3810.4.33
Upgrade TYPO3 to version 8.7.49 ELTS, 9.5.38 ELTS, 10.4.33, 11.5.20, or 12.1.1 or later. Additionally, restrict backend user access to the Form Designer module to trusted accounts only.
Upgrade to TYPO3 10.4.33, 11.5.20, or 12.1.1 (or respective ELTS versions 8.7.49, 9.5.38 for older branches)
- Backup the TYPO3 database and all files
- Ensure you have a full site backup before proceeding
- Use Composer to upgrade: composer require typo3/cms-core:^10.4.33 (or ^11.5.20 for v11, ^12.1.1 for v12)
- Alternatively, download the appropriate TYPO3 version from typo3.org and replace core files
- Clear all caches via Install Tool or CLI: typo3cms cache:flush
- Verify the version upgrade was successful in the Admin Tools > About module
- Test that the Form Designer backend module functions correctly
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
Fix this in TYPO3
Scoped from the published advisory
- 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-2022-23503 — 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-2022-23503 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