CVE-2026-53609 | Apostrophe has Server-Side Prototype Pollution in apos.util.set via patch operators that leads to process-wide authorization bypass

ApostropheCMS is an open-source Node.js content management system. In versions up to and including 4.30.0, `apos.util.set()` traverses dot-notation paths without sanitizing `__proto__`, allowing an authenticated editor to write arbitrary values to `Object.prototype` via the `$pullAll` patch operator. A confirmed gadget in `publicApiCheck()` causes this to bypass authorization on all piece-type REST API endpoints for every subsequent unauthenticated request, for the lifetime of the Node.js process. As of time of publication, no known patched versions are available.

Published: 2026-06-12 Last update: 2026-06-15 Assigner: [email protected] Source: [email protected]

Conclusion & alert: CVE-2026-53609 is rated Moderate Risk (41.6/100): CVSS Critical severity, with low exploitation likelihood (EPSS 0.24%). Mandatory action: Review affected assets and schedule remediation.

Risk is dynamic; we continuously reassess and refresh what is shown on this page as upstream context changes.

Exploit prediction scoring system (EPSS) score for CVE-2026-53609

EPSS lead: Daily EPSS estimates relative likelihood of exploitation; percentile ranks this CVE among scored vulnerabilities (higher = more severe relative rank).

# Date Old EPSS score New EPSS score Delta (New - Old)
1 2026-06-15 0.05% 0.24% +0.18%
2 2026-06-13 0.05%

Full EPSS history (2 records total)

Common vulnerability scoring system (CVSS) metrics for CVE-2026-53609

CVSS metrics for this CVE.

Base score Version Severity Vector Exploitability Impact Score source
9.1 3.1 CRITICAL
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:L/A:L Click to expand
Attack vector (AV:N)
Could be attacked over the internet or any normal routed network—not just someone sitting at the machine.
Attack complexity (AC:L)
Once they can reach the bug, pulling it off is straightforward—no weird race conditions or rare setup.
Privileges required (PR:L)
A normal user session is enough; they don’t have to be admin.
User interaction (UI:N)
Nobody has to click “OK” or open a trap file; it can work without a victim helping.
Scope (S:C)
Breaking this can reach past the original component and bite other resources—bigger blast radius.
Confidentiality (C:H)
Serious risk that confidential data gets exposed in a big way.
Integrity (I:L)
Attackers could change some data, but it’s limited—not everything goes.
Availability (A:L)
Might cause slowdowns, glitches, or partial disruption—not a full brick.
3.1 5.3 [email protected]

Weakness enumeration for CVE-2026-53609

Affected software / configurations for CVE-2026-53609

Vendor Product Version Raw CPE
No affected products in dataset.

References for CVE-2026-53609

cvelogic Threat Intelligence