dbcve.org
Missing AuthorizationWeakness · CWE-862

CVE-2025-13828

CRITICAL · 9.0 CVSS v4.0 Published 2025-12-02
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
96/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable Zero-click

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 · unedited
SummaryA non privileged user can install and remove arbitrary packages via composer for a composer based installed, even if the flag in update settings for enable composer based update is unticked. ImpactA low-privileged user of the platform can install malicious code to obtain higher privileges.

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 · moderate confidence

A low-privileged user can bypass access controls to execute composer package management commands (install/remove arbitrary packages) even when the 'enable composer based update' setting is disabled, allowing privilege escalation through arbitrary code execution.

MitigationEnsure the composer-based update setting is properly enforced at the authorization layer and implement server-side validation that actually prevents composer execution when disabled.

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

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.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
Low
Authentication
X
User interaction
None
Scope
X

CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:H/SI:H/SA:H/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X

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 checks

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

  1. Identify the application with composer package management
    Locate the application or system that provides composer-based update functionality. This is typically a web-based update system, CMS, or admin panel that integrates PHP Composer for package management.
    Affected if The application has a composer-based update feature that can be enabled/disabled through a settings interface.
  2. Locate the composer update settings configuration
    Search for the configuration setting named 'enable composer based update', 'composer update', or similar in the application's admin panel, configuration files, or database settings table.
    Affected if The setting 'enable composer based update' or equivalent exists and can be toggled on/off.
  3. Verify the access control enforcement for composer commands
    As a low-privileged user (non-admin), attempt to access composer package management features or endpoints. Check if composer install/remove commands are accessible despite the setting being disabled.
    Affected if Low-privileged users can trigger composer commands (install, remove, update packages) even when the composer-based update setting is explicitly disabled.
  4. Check for unauthorized package installation capability
    Test whether a low-privileged user can install arbitrary packages through composer, which would allow code execution on the server.
    Affected if A user with limited privileges can execute composer commands to install packages not authorized by administrators.
  5. Review server-side validation of composer settings
    Examine the server-side code or API responses when the composer setting is disabled. Check if the backend actually prevents composer execution or merely hides the UI option.
    Affected if The composer feature is executable despite server-side checks indicating it should be disabled.

You are affected if a low-privileged user can execute composer package management commands (install/remove arbitrary packages) even when the 'enable composer based update' setting is disabled, indicating the access control is not properly enforced at the authorization layer.

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

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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 data
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Ensure the composer-based update setting is properly enforced at the authorization layer and implement server-side validation that actually prevents composer execution when disabled.

Have this fixed Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA3.0 h
19.0 hours of engineering $3,380
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2025-13828 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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
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