Craft CMS: Authorization bypass: view-only Categories user can modify category structure via structures/move-element
The advisory, in context
A control-panel user who holds only the viewCategories permission for a category group (and not saveCategories) can permanently modify that group's category structure — reordering and re-parenting categories via the structures/move-element action.
A read-time authorization grant that a write endpoint later trusts. For categories, the structureEditable flag is computed from the view permission (src/elements/Category.php:205) instead of the save permission (entries correctly use saveEntries — src/elements/Entry.php:341). When the read-only category index renders, craft\base\Element::indexHtml() calls Craft::$app->getSession()->authorize('editStructure:<structureId>'); StructuresController then authorizes the structure-mutating action solely on that session grant, with no canSave re-check.
Verified on Craft CMS 5.10.5. Same class as the moderate-severity authorization bypasses fixed in 5.10.3 and 5.10.5; this is a distinct, unpatched instance.
Impact
A low-privileged, authenticated user (view-only on a category group) can persistently alter the sibling ordering and parent/child nesting of the category taxonomy. Because a category’s URI is derived from its position in the structure (ancestor slugs), moving a category changes its URL and the URLs of its descendants, and can corrupt any navigation/menus built from the category tree. This is an integrity/broken access-control issue: content that the user has no permission to modify is being modified. No confidentiality impact and no RCE; scope is content/taxonomy integrity.
Affected packages
Start with the recorded fix for your release branch. Check your installed version and test compatibility before upgrading. Fixing this advisory does not rule out other vulnerabilities in the release.
From 5.0.0-RC1 before 5.10.6
Fixed in 5.10.6
178 explicitly affected versions
5.0.0, 5.0.0-RC1, 5.0.1, 5.0.2, 5.0.3, 5.0.4, 5.0.5, 5.0.6, 5.1.0, 5.1.1, 5.1.10, 5.1.2, 5.1.3, 5.1.4, 5.1.5, 5.1.6, 5.1.7, 5.1.8, 5.1.9, 5.10.0, 5.10.1, 5.10.2, 5.10.3, 5.10.4, 5.10.4.1, 5.10.5, 5.2.0, 5.2.0-beta.1, 5.2.0-beta.2, 5.2.0-beta.3, 5.2.0-beta.4, 5.2.0-beta.5, 5.2.0-beta.6, 5.2.1, 5.2.10, 5.2.2, 5.2.3, 5.2.4, 5.2.4.1, 5.2.5, 5.2.6, 5.2.7, 5.2.8, 5.2.9, 5.3.0, 5.3.0-beta.1, 5.3.0-beta.2, 5.3.0.1, 5.3.0.2, 5.3.0.3, 5.3.1, 5.3.2, 5.3.3, 5.3.4, 5.3.5, 5.3.6, 5.4.0, 5.4.0.1, 5.4.1, 5.4.10, 5.4.10.1, 5.4.2, 5.4.3, 5.4.4, 5.4.5, 5.4.5.1, 5.4.6, 5.4.7, 5.4.7.1, 5.4.8, 5.4.9, 5.5.0, 5.5.0.1, 5.5.1, 5.5.1.1, 5.5.10, 5.5.2, 5.5.3, 5.5.4, 5.5.5, 5.5.6, 5.5.6.1, 5.5.7, 5.5.8, 5.5.9, 5.6.0, 5.6.0.1, 5.6.0.2, 5.6.1, 5.6.10, 5.6.10.1, 5.6.10.2, 5.6.11, 5.6.12, 5.6.13, 5.6.14, 5.6.15, 5.6.16, 5.6.17, 5.6.2, 5.6.3, 5.6.4, 5.6.5, 5.6.5.1, 5.6.6, 5.6.7, 5.6.8, 5.6.9, 5.6.9.1, 5.7.0, 5.7.0-beta.1, 5.7.0-beta.2, 5.7.1, 5.7.1.1, 5.7.10, 5.7.11, 5.7.2, 5.7.3, 5.7.4, 5.7.5, 5.7.6, 5.7.7, 5.7.8, 5.7.8.1, 5.7.8.2, 5.7.9, 5.8.0, 5.8.1, 5.8.10, 5.8.11, 5.8.12, 5.8.13, 5.8.13.1, 5.8.13.2, 5.8.14, 5.8.15, 5.8.16, 5.8.17, 5.8.18, 5.8.19, 5.8.2, 5.8.20, 5.8.21, 5.8.22, 5.8.23, 5.8.3, 5.8.4, 5.8.5, 5.8.6, 5.8.7, 5.8.8, 5.8.9, 5.9.0, 5.9.0-beta.1, 5.9.0-beta.2, 5.9.1, 5.9.10, 5.9.11, 5.9.12, 5.9.13, 5.9.14, 5.9.15, 5.9.16, 5.9.17, 5.9.18, 5.9.19, 5.9.2, 5.9.20, 5.9.21, 5.9.22, 5.9.23, 5.9.3, 5.9.4, 5.9.5, 5.9.6, 5.9.7, 5.9.8, 5.9.9
View affected-version evidence
{
"ranges": [
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}References
- https://github.com/craftcms/cms/security/advisories/GHSA-xxpx-f366-4xpq
- https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-72785
- https://github.com/craftcms/cms/commit/eb63721b8476ef53f21d7de53d156eef531cb57d
- https://github.com/craftcms/cms
- https://github.com/craftcms/cms/releases/tag/4.18.2
- https://github.com/craftcms/cms/releases/tag/5.10.6
- https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/craft-cms-before-authorization-bypass-via-structures-move-element