Information Disclosure via `choices`/`counts` Query Parameters Bypassing publicApiProjection Field Restrictions
Summary
| CVE | CVE-2026-39857 |
|---|---|
| State | PUBLISHED |
| Assigner | GitHub_M |
| Source Priority | CVE Program / NVD first with legacy fallback |
| Published | 2026-04-15 20:16:36 UTC |
| Updated | 2026-04-16 14:16:14 UTC |
| Description | ApostropheCMS is an open-source Node.js content management system. Versions 4.28.0 and prior contain an authorization bypass vulnerability in the choices and counts query parameters of the REST API, where these query builders execute MongoDB distinct() operations that bypass the publicApiProjection restrictions intended to limit which fields are exposed publicly. The choices and counts parameters are processed via applyBuildersSafely before the projection is applied, and MongoDB's distinct operation does not respect projections, returning all distinct values directly. The results are returned in the API response without any filtering against publicApiProjection or removeForbiddenFields. An unauthenticated attacker can extract all distinct field values for any schema field type that has a registered query builder, including string, integer, float, select, boolean, date, slug, and relationship fields. Fields protected with viewPermission are similarly exposed, and the counts variant additionally reveals how many documents have each distinct value. Both the piece-type and page REST APIs are affected. This issue has been fixed in version 4.29.0. |
Risk And Classification
Primary CVSS: v3.1 5.3 MEDIUM from [email protected]
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N
EPSS: 0.000370000 probability, percentile 0.109380000 (date 2026-04-16)
Problem Types: CWE-200 | CWE-200 CWE-200: Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor
| Version | Source | Type | Score | Severity | Vector |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.1 | [email protected] | Secondary | 5.3 | MEDIUM | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N |
| 3.1 | CNA | DECLARED | 5.3 | MEDIUM | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N |
CVSS v3.1 Breakdown
Attack Vector
NetworkAttack Complexity
LowPrivileges Required
NoneUser Interaction
NoneScope
UnchangedConfidentiality
LowIntegrity
NoneAvailability
NoneCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N
Vendor Declared Affected Products
| Source | Vendor | Product | Version | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CNA | Apostrophecms | Apostrophe | affected < 4.29.0 | Not specified |
References
| Reference | Source | Link | Tags |
|---|---|---|---|
| github.com/apostrophecms/apostrophe/security/advisories/GHSA-c276-fj82-f2pq | 134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0 | github.com | |
| github.com/apostrophecms/apostrophe/commit/6c2b548dec2e3f7a82e8e16736603... | [email protected] | github.com | |
| CVE Program record | CVE.ORG | www.cve.org | canonical |
| NVD vulnerability detail | NVD | nvd.nist.gov | canonical, analysis |
No vendor comments have been submitted for this CVE.
There are currently no legacy QID mappings associated with this CVE.