CVE-2026-42853
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 · uneditedApostropheCMS is an open-source Node.js content management system. Versions of the @apostrophecms/cli package up to and including 3.6.0 contain a command injection vulnerability in the apos create command. User-supplied input from the password prompt is embedded directly into a shell command without proper sanitization or escaping. This allows execution of arbitrary commands on the host system. As of time of publication, no known patched versions are available.
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 @apostrophecms/cli package versions up to 3.6.0 contain a command injection vulnerability in the apos create command. User-supplied input from the password prompt is embedded directly into a shell command without proper sanitization or escaping, allowing arbitrary command execution on the host system.
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
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- High
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/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.
-
Verify @apostrophecms/cli package is installedRun `npm list @apostrophecms/cli` or check package.json for this dependencyAffected if The package is present in the project dependencies
-
Identify installed CLI versionRun `npm list @apostrophecms/cli` or `npm show @apostrophecms/cli version` to see the installed versionAffected if Installed version is 3.6.0 or lower (any version up to and including 3.6.0)
-
Confirm apos create command usageCheck if the project uses or has scripts invoking `apos create` (look in package.json scripts, CI/CD pipelines, or documentation)Affected if The apos create command is used or configured in the environment
-
Verify password input method for apos createInspect whether passwords are provided interactively via the CLI prompt or stored in configuration files/scriptsAffected if Passwords are supplied through the interactive prompt during apos create execution (this triggers the vulnerable code path)
User is affected if @apostrophecms/cli version 3.6.0 or lower is installed AND the apos create command is used with interactive password prompts.
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 · scopedUntil a patched version is released, avoid using the apos create command with untrusted input or implement input validation/sanitization before the password is used in shell commands. Consider running the CLI in an isolated environment as a temporary workaround.
- Avoid using the `apos create` command until a patched version is released
- Do not enter sensitive credentials or data into the password prompt when using apos create
- Consider using alternative CMS installation methods or manual project setup if available
- Monitor the ApostropheCMS GitHub repository for security advisories and patched releases
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation3.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $3,408.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2026-42853 — 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-2026-42853 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