# CVE-2018-20465: Craft CMS Vulnerable to Server-Side Template Injection

> Authenticated administrators can exploit server-side template injection to read sensitive database credentials from configuration settings.

- **Severity:** High 7.2 (`CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** An administrator
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 25 Dec 2018
- **Updated:** 5 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-j7fx-v37j-v3w7

## What is CVE-2018-20465?

CVE-2018-20465 is a high-severity code injection vulnerability in Craftcms Craft Cms, published on 25 Dec 2018. An attacker needs administrator access to exploit it, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Craft CMS through 3.0.34 allows remote authenticated administrators to read sensitive information via server-side template injection, as demonstrated by a {% string for craft.app.config.DB.user and craft.app.config.DB.password in the URI Format of the Site Settings, which causes a cleartext username and password to be displayed in a URI field.

Weakness: CWE-311 (Missing Encryption of Sensitive Data)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2018-20465?

2 open source packages ship an affected version, including craftcms/cms. It affects 1 product.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `craftcms/cms` | Packagist | All versions to 3.0.34 | None |
| `craftcms/cms` | Packagist | All versions to 3.0.34 | None |

Products: Craftcms Craft Cms.

## How do I fix CVE-2018-20465?

No fix has been published for CVE-2018-20465 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2018-20465 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2018-20465 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Craftcms Craft Cms

- [CVE-2025-32432](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-32432/): Craft CMS Code Injection (critical 10.0, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2024-56145](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-56145/): Craft CMS Code Injection (critical 9.3, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2025-23209](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-23209/): Craft CMS Code Injection (high 8.1, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2025-35939](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-35939/): Craft CMS External Control of Assumed-Immutable Web Parameter (medium 6.9, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2023-41892](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-41892/): Craft CMS Remote Code Execution vulnerability (critical 10.0)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2018-20465 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2018-20465 is a high-severity code injection vulnerability in Craftcms Craft Cms, published on 25 Dec 2018. An attacker needs administrator access to exploit it, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2018-20465 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- craftcms/cms (Packagist): affected all versions up to 3.0.34; no fix listed
- craftcms/cms (Packagist): affected all versions up to 3.0.34; no fix listed

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-20465/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-20465/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2018-20465
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-20465
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2018-20465

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-20465/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.