CVE-2025-23209
CVE-2025-23209 is a security flaw in Craft CMS, software for building and running websites. Attackers can run their own code on Craft CMS. The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) added it to its catalog of flaws known to be used in attacks on 20 Feb 2025.[1]
Craft CMS is business software or equipment. Most families won’t have it, but attackers break into it to get inside companies, and from there to what those companies hold about their customers, patients and staff. Craft CMS has published a fix or advice.
Description
CISA calls it a code injection in Craft CMS Craft CMS. In its words: “Craft CMS contains a code injection vulnerability caused by improper validation of the database backup path, ultimately enabling remote code execution.”[1]
The CVE record adds: “Craft is a flexible, user-friendly CMS for creating custom digital experiences on the web and beyond. This is an remote code execution (RCE) vulnerability that affects Craft 4 and 5 installs where your security key has already been compromised. Anyone running an unpatched version of Craft with a compromised security key is affected. This vulnerability has been patched in Craft 5.5.8 and 4.13.8. Users who cannot update to a patched version, should rotate their security keys and ensure their privacy to help migitgate the issue.”[2]
The underlying weakness is code injection (CWE-94), in MITRE’s list of common software weaknesses.
It scores 8.1 out of 10 on the Common Vulnerability Scoring System, which rates it high, scored by NVD using CVSS 3.1.[2]
Affected versions
NVD’s record doesn’t list version ranges for it; Craft CMS’s advisory has them[3]. CISA names the product as Craft CMS Craft CMS.
Most families won’t have Craft CMS; it’s for whoever looks after IT at work.
Exploitation
CISA added it to its catalog of known exploited vulnerabilities on 20 Feb 2025, 33 days after it was made public. CISA lists a flaw only when it has reliable evidence of it being exploited, and gave US federal agencies until 13 Mar 2025 to fix it.[1]
FIRST’s Exploit Prediction Scoring System, which estimates how likely a flaw is to be used in attacks in the next 30 days from what it sees across the internet, puts it at 22%. That’s in the top 3% of the flaws it scores.[4]
CISA assesses it as not automatable: each attack takes some work.
CISA doesn’t say who was attacked, or how.
Fix
Craft CMS has published a fix or advice.[3] CISA’s required action: “Apply mitigations per vendor instructions or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.”[1]
- Check whether you use it.Craft CMS is business software or equipment, so most families won’t have it. If you run a business, or work from home on company equipment, ask whoever looks after your IT.
- Send this page to your IT person.Ask them to confirm it’s fixed, or not in use. CISA gave US government agencies until 13 Mar 2025 to fix it.
- If it can’t be fixed, take it offline.CISA’s advice when there’s no fix is to stop using the product, or take it off the internet, until there is one.
You can’t fix someone else’s server, but you can watch for what follows a break-in like this: a breach notice, a password reset you didn’t ask for, or a scam message that knows things it shouldn’t. HARD watches for those for you and your family.
Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| The flaw is made public in the National Vulnerability Database, with a severity score of 8.1.[2] | |
| CISA adds it to its catalog of flaws known to be used in attacks.[1] | |
| CISA’s deadline for US government agencies to fix it.[1] | |
| FIRST puts the odds of it being used in attacks in the next 30 days at 22%.[4] |
See also
Other Craft CMS flaws
- CVE-2025-32432: code injection ·
- CVE-2025-35939: external control of assumed-immutable web parameter ·
- CVE-2024-56145: code injection ·
Other code injection flaws
- CVE-2026-0322, Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS: code injection ·
- CVE-2026-65660, Microsoft SharePoint: code injection ·
- CVE-2026-60004, Gitea: code injection ·
- CVE-2026-72530, TrueConf Server: code injection ·
- CVE-2025-62593, Ray-Project Ray: code injection ·
Added the same day
- CVE-2025-0111, Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS: file read ·
Every Craft CMS flaw on CISA’s list · Everything added in February 2025
References
- ^ Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. “Craft CMS Code Injection Vulnerability”. Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog, added 20 Feb 2025.
- ^ National Institute of Standards and Technology. “CVE-2025-23209 Detail”. National Vulnerability Database, published 18 Jan 2025.
- ^ Craft CMS. Advisories and fixes: github.com.
- ^ FIRST. “Exploit Prediction Scoring System”. EPSS 0.216, percentile 97.6, 31 Oct 2026.
- CVE Program. “CVE-2025-23209”. The official CVE record.
This article is built from CISA’s catalog (version 2026.10.30), NVD’s record and FIRST’s scores, kept in HARD’s database and checked every morning. The plain English is HARD’s.