# CVE-2021-25985: FactorJS - Insufficient Session Expiration Leads to a Local Account Takeover

> Attackers can hijack user accounts by reusing stolen session tokens from local storage due to insufficient session expiration in FactorJS.

- **Severity:** High 7.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 16 Nov 2021
- **Updated:** 30 Apr 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-j232-863r-9977

## What is CVE-2021-25985?

CVE-2021-25985 is a high-severity authentication bypass vulnerability in FactorJS Factor, published on 16 Nov 2021. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

In Factor (App Framework & Headless CMS) v1.0.4 to v1.8.30, improperly invalidate a user’s session even after the user logs out of the application. In addition, user sessions are stored in the browser’s local storage, which by default does not have an expiration time. This makes it possible for an attacker to steal and reuse the cookies using techniques such as XSS attacks, followed by a local account takeover.

Weakness: CWE-613 (DEPRECATED: Insufficient Session Expiration)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2021-25985?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Darwin Factor.

## How do I fix CVE-2021-25985?

No fix has been published for CVE-2021-25985 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2021-25985 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2021-25985 exists.

## Other vulnerabilities in FactorJS Factor

- [CVE-2021-25982](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-25982/): FactorJS - Reflected Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) in Search Functionality (medium 6.1)
- [CVE-2021-25983](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-25983/): FactorJS - Reflected Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) in Tags and Categories Functionality (medium 6.1)
- [CVE-2021-25984](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-25984/): FactorJS - Stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) in Post Reply Functionality (medium 6.1)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2021-25985 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2021-25985 is a high-severity authentication bypass vulnerability in FactorJS Factor, published on 16 Nov 2021. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2021-25985 exists.

Affected product: FactorJS Factor. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

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-2021-25985/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-25985/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2021-25985
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-25985
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2021-25985

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-25985/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.