Medium

Craft CMS: Sensitive File Disclosure / Server-Side File Read

  • Disclosed: 06.07.2026
  • Updated: 11.10.2026 10:22

The dataUrl() Twig function is included in Craft’s Twig sandbox allowlist, allowing any control panel user granted the utility:system-messages permission to embed a file-reading payload into system email templates. When those emails are sent, the server reads the target file and returns its contents as a base64-encoded data URL embedded in the email body. The .env file, which typically contains the database password, CRAFT_SECURITY_KEY, and third-party API keys, passes all of Craft’s existing dataUrl() protection checks and is fully exfiltrated. Obtaining CRAFT_SECURITY_KEY enables an attacker to forge session tokens and escalate to full admin account takeover.

Details

Affected versions: Craft CMS 4.x, 5.x (confirmed against 5.9.19)

The vulnerability arises from the combination of three code facts:

  1. dataUrl is in the Twig sandbox allowlist src/config/twig-sandbox.php, line 115: php'allowedFunctions' => [ ... 'dataUrl', // ← allows file reading inside sandboxed templates ... ],

  2. Html::dataUrl() does not block dotfiles src/helpers/Html.php, lines 1065–1090. The function applies four checks before reading a file:

Must be within the project root .env is at the root Must not be in a system directory (config/, vendor/, storage/, templates/) .env is not Must not be a .php file .env has no extension File must exist .env always exists in a Craft install

There is no check for dotfiles or specifically for .env. All four checks pass silently and file_get_contents() is called, with the result returned as data:text/plain;base64,....

  1. System message body is rendered via renderSandboxedString() src/mail/Mailer.php, lines 181–183: php$subject = $view->renderSandboxedString($systemMessage->subject, $variables); $textBody = $view->renderSandboxedString($systemMessage->body, $variables); $htmlBody = $view->renderSandboxedString($systemMessage->body, $variables, escapeHtml: true);

Any body content saved to a system message is executed inside the Twig sandbox when the email renders. Because dataUrl is in allowedFunctions, the sandbox policy permits its execution without restriction.

Access control: The utility:system-messages permission is a non-admin CP permission grantable to any user group via Settings > Users > Groups. It is not restricted to admins.

Impact

Vulnerability type: Sensitive File Disclosure / Server-Side File Read Who is impacted: Any Craft CMS 4.x or 5.x installation where at least one non-admin control panel user has been granted the utility:system-messages permission, and email sending is configured.

Resources:

Affected software

Click a technology to see all vulnerabilities affecting it.

PlatformPackageVulnerable versionsFixed in
Composer package craftcms/cms >= 4.0.0-RC1, < 4.18.0, >= 5.0.0-RC1, < 5.10.0 4.18.0, 5.10.0

References

CVSS score -
CVSS vector
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:N/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
Weakness (CWE)
CWE-200
Platform
Composer
Package
craftcms/cms
Disclosed
06.07.2026
Updated
11.10.2026 10:22

Sources and licenses

OSV / GitHub Advisory Database - GHSA-287w-mxq6-x2cp - CC BY 4.0

Vulnerability history: craftcms/cms

All published vulnerabilities of this package (Composer package), newest first. Shows whether this is a one-off slip or a package that needs watching.

All (127) in the archive
Total entries
127
First → latest
07.2021 08.2026
Without a fix
6
Exploited in attacks
4

Severity breakdown

  • Critical 9
  • High 41
  • Medium 65
  • Low 12

Disclosures per year

  1. 2021: 3
  2. 2022: 22
  3. 2023: 13
  4. 2024: 9
  5. 2025: 6
  6. 2026: 74
Severity:
  1. Critical CVE-2026-72780 >= 5.0.0-RC1, < 5.10.5 5.10.5
  2. High CVE-2026-72781 >= 5.0.0-RC1, < 5.10.7, >= 4.0.0-RC1, < 4.18.3 5.10.7, 4.18.3
  3. High CVE-2026-72778 >= 5.0.0-RC1, < 5.10.6, >= 4.0.0-RC1, < 4.18.2 5.10.6, 4.18.2
  4. Craft CMS: Sensitive File Disclosure / Server-Side File Read this entry
    Medium CVE-2026-55792 >= 4.0.0-RC1, < 4.18.0, >= 5.0.0-RC1, < 5.10.0 4.18.0, 5.10.0
  5. High CVE-2026-55790 >= 5.0.0-RC1, < 5.9.23, >= 4.0.0-RC1, < 4.17.16 5.9.23, 4.17.16
  6. High CVE-2026-50282 >= 5.0.0-RC1, < 5.9.21, >= 4.0.0-RC1, < 4.17.14 5.9.21, 4.17.14
  7. High CVE-2026-50284 >= 5.0.0-RC1, < 5.9.22, >= 4.0.0-RC1, < 4.17.15 5.9.22, 4.17.15
  8. Critical CVE-2026-55791 >= 5.0.0-RC1, < 5.10, >= 4.0.0-RC1, < 4.18 5.10, 4.18
  9. High CVE-2026-44011 >= 4.0.0, < 4.17.12, >= 5.0.0, < 5.9.18 4.17.12, 5.9.18
  10. High CVE-2026-44010 >= 5.0.0, < 5.9.18, >= 4.0.0, < 4.17.12 5.9.18, 4.17.12
  11. High CVE-2026-32267 >= 4.0.0-RC1, < 4.17.6, >= 5.0.0-RC1, < 5.9.12 4.17.6, 5.9.12
  12. High CVE-2026-32264 >= 4.0.0-RC1, < 4.17.5, >= 5.0.0-RC1, < 5.9.11 4.17.5, 5.9.11
  13. High CVE-2026-32263 >= 5.6.0, < 5.9.11 5.9.11
  14. High CVE-2026-31857 >= 5.0.0-RC1, < 5.9.9, >= 4.0.0-beta.1, < 4.17.4 5.9.9, 4.17.4
  15. High CVE-2026-31858 >= 5.0.0-RC1, < 5.9.9 5.9.9
  16. High CVE-2026-29069 >= 5.0.0-RC1, < 5.9.0-beta.2, >= 4.0.0-RC1, < 4.17.0-beta.2 5.9.0-beta.2, 4.17.0-beta.2
  17. Critical CVE-2026-28697 >= 5.0.0-RC1, < 5.9.0-beta.1, >= 4.0.0-RC1, < 4.17.0-beta.1 5.9.0-beta.1, 4.17.0-beta.1
  18. High CVE-2026-28696 >= 4.0.0-RC1, < 4.17.0-beta.1, >= 5.0.0-RC1, < 5.9.0-beta.1 4.17.0-beta.1, 5.9.0-beta.1
  19. High CVE-2026-27127 >= 5.0.0-RC1, < 5.8.23, >= 3.5.0, < 4.16.19 5.8.23, 4.16.19
  20. High CVE-2026-25498 >= 5.0.0-RC1, < 5.8.22, >= 4.0.0-RC1, < 4.16.18 5.8.22, 4.16.18
  21. High CVE-2026-25497 >= 5.0.0-RC1, < 5.9.0-beta.1, >= 4.0.0-RC1, < 4.17.0-beta.1 5.9.0-beta.1, 4.17.0-beta.1
  22. High CVE-2026-25495 >= 5.0.0-RC1, < 5.8.22, >= 4.0.0-RC1, < 4.16.18 5.8.22, 4.16.18
  23. High CVE-2025-68455 >= 5.0.0-RC1, < 5.8.21, >= 4.0.0-RC1, < 4.16.17 5.8.21, 4.16.17
  24. High CVE-2025-68456 >= 5.0.0-RC1, < 5.8.21, >= 3.0.0, < 4.16.17 5.8.21, 4.16.17
  25. High CVE-2025-46731 >= 4.0.0-RC1, < 4.14.13, >= 5.0.0-RC1, < 5.6.15 4.14.13, 5.6.15
  26. Critical · 10.0 Exploited in attacks CVE-2025-32432 >= 3.0.0-RC1, < 3.9.15, >= 4.0.0-RC1, < 4.14.15, >= 5.0.0-RC1, < 5.6.17 3.9.15, 4.14.15, 5.6.17
  27. High · 8.0 Exploited in attacks CVE-2025-23209 >= 5.0.0-RC1, < 5.5.8, >= 4.0.0-RC1, < 4.13.8 5.5.8, 4.13.8
  28. Critical · 9.8 Exploited in attacks CVE-2024-56145 >= 5.0.0-RC1, < 5.5.2, >= 4.0.0-RC1, < 4.13.2, >= 3.0.0, < 3.9.14 5.5.2, 4.13.2, 3.9.14
  29. High · 7.2 CVE-2024-52293 >= 4.0.0-RC1, < 4.12.2, >= 5.0.0-RC1, < 5.4.3 4.12.2, 5.4.3
  30. High · 7.7 CVE-2024-52292 >= 5.0.0-alpha.1, < 5.4.9, >= 3.5.13, < 4.12.8 5.4.9, 4.12.8
  31. High · 8.4 CVE-2024-52291 >= 5.0.0-RC1, < 5.4.6, >= 4.0.0-RC1, < 4.12.5 5.4.6, 4.12.5
  32. Critical · 9.8 CVE-2024-37843 <= 3.7.31 no fix
  33. High · 7.5 CVE-2023-36260 < 4.6.2 4.6.2
  34. Critical · 10.0 CVE-2023-41892 >= 4.0.0-RC1, < 4.4.15 4.4.15
  35. High · 7.2 CVE-2023-40035 >= 4.0.0-RC1, < 4.4.15, >= 3.0.0, < 3.8.15 4.4.15, 3.8.15
  36. High · 7.2 CVE-2023-32679 >= 4.0.0, < 4.4.6 4.4.6
  37. High · 7.5 CVE-2022-37783 >= 3.0.0, < 3.7.33 3.7.33
  38. Critical · 9.8 CVE-2019-15929 < 3.1.7 3.1.7
  39. High · 7.2 CVE-2018-20465 <= 3.0.34 no fix
  40. High · 8.8 CVE-2018-3814 <= 2.6.3000 no fix
  41. High · 8.8 CVE-2022-29933 < 3.7.36 3.7.36
  42. High · 8.8 CVE-2021-41824 >= 3.4.0, < 3.7.14 3.7.14
  43. Critical · 9.8 CVE-2021-27903 < 3.6.7 3.6.7

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