CVE-2020-11069

CVE-2020-11069 is a high-severity vulnerability in Typo3 with a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.0. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-346.

Key facts

Description

In TYPO3 CMS 9.0.0 through 9.5.16 and 10.0.0 through 10.4.1, it has been discovered that the backend user interface and install tool are vulnerable to a same-site request forgery. A backend user can be tricked into interacting with a malicious resource an attacker previously managed to upload to the web server. Scripts are then executed with the privileges of the victims' user session. In a worst-case scenario, new admin users can be created which can directly be used by an attacker. The vulnerability is basically a cross-site request forgery (CSRF) triggered by a cross-site scripting vulnerability (XSS) - but happens on the same target host - thus, it's actually a same-site request forgery. Malicious payload such as HTML containing JavaScript might be provided by either an authenticated backend user or by a non-authenticated user using a third party extension, e.g. file upload in a contact form with knowing the target location. To be successful, the attacked victim requires an active and valid backend or install tool user session at the time of the attack. This has been fixed in 9.5.17 and 10.4.2. The deployment of additional mitigation techniques is suggested as described below. - Sudo Mode Extension This TYPO3 extension intercepts modifications to security relevant database tables, e.g. those storing user accounts or storages of the file abstraction layer. Modifications need to confirmed again by the acting user providing their password again. This technique is known as sudo mode. This way, unintended actions happening in the background can be mitigated. - https://github.com/FriendsOfTYPO3/sudo-mode - https://extensions.typo3.org/extension/sudo_mode - Content Security Policy Content Security Policies tell (modern) browsers how resources served a particular site are handled. It is also possible to disallow script executions for specific locations. In a TYPO3 context, it is suggested to disallow direct script execution at least for locations /fileadmin/ and /uploads/.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2020-11069?
In TYPO3 CMS 9.0.0 through 9.5.16 and 10.0.0 through 10.4.1, it has been discovered that the backend user interface and install tool are vulnerable to a same-site request forgery. A backend user can be tricked into interacting with a malicious resource an attacker previously managed to upload to the web server. Scripts are then executed with the privileges of the victims' user session. In a worst-case scenario, new admin users can be created which can directly be used by an attacker. The vulnerability is basically a cross-site request forgery (CSRF) triggered by a cross-site scripting vulnerability (XSS) - but happens on the same target host - thus, it's actually a same-site request forgery. Malicious payload such as HTML containing JavaScript might be provided by either an authenticated backend user or by a non-authenticated user using a third party extension, e.g. file upload in a contact form with knowing the target location. To be successful, the attacked victim requires an active and valid backend or install tool user session at the time of the attack. This has been fixed in 9.5.17 and 10.4.2. The deployment of additional mitigation techniques is suggested as described below. - Sudo Mode Extension This TYPO3 extension intercepts modifications to security relevant database tables, e.g. those storing user accounts or storages of the file abstraction layer. Modifications need to confirmed again by the acting user providing their password again. This technique is known as sudo mode. This way, unintended actions happening in the background can be mitigated. - https://github.com/FriendsOfTYPO3/sudo-mode - https://extensions.typo3.org/extension/sudo_mode - Content Security Policy Content Security Policies tell (modern) browsers how resources served a particular site are handled. It is also possible to disallow script executions for specific locations. In a TYPO3 context, it is suggested to disallow direct script execution at least for locations /fileadmin/ and /uploads/.
How severe is CVE-2020-11069?
CVE-2020-11069 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.0, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2020-11069 being actively exploited?
It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (49th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2020-11069?
CVE-2020-11069 affects Typo3. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2020-11069?
Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2020-11069 published?
CVE-2020-11069 was published on 2020-05-14 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

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