CVE-2023-22894Strapi Cleartext Storage of Sensitive Information Vulnerability
CVE-2023-22894 is a cleartext storage of sensitive data in Strapi, rated medium (4.9 on CVSS 3.1).
Why this priority: Exploited in the wild: listed in CISA's KEV catalog.
Published · Updated · NVD status: Analyzed
What it is
Sensitive data is stored unencrypted where others can read it.
How it is reached
An attacker can exploit it over the network, with an administrator account, and nobody has to click anything.
What an attacker gains
A successful attack can read the data it protects. In practice, this kind of flaw lets an attacker sign in with credentials the vendor shipped or stored unprotected.
Is it being exploited?
CISA added it to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2026-10-08: it is being exploited in the wild. EPSS estimates a 4.1% chance of exploitation activity in the next 30 days, higher than 91% of scored CVEs.
What to do
- Treat it as urgent: it is on CISA's KEV list. CISA's deadline for US federal agencies: 2026-10-11.
- Upgrade Strapi to 4.8.0 or later. The patch notes are linked below.
- Until it is patched, review who holds accounts that can reach it.
- Check exposed instances for signs of compromise, not only for the version.
Description from NVD
Strapi through 4.5.5 allows attackers (with access to the admin panel) to discover sensitive user details by exploiting the query filter. The attacker can filter users by columns that contain sensitive information and infer a value from API responses. If the attacker has super admin access, then this can be exploited to discover the password hash and password reset token of all users. If the attacker has admin panel access to an account with permission to access the username and email of API users with a lower privileged role (e.g., Editor or Author), then this can be exploited to discover sensitive information for all API users but not other admin accounts.
What this means for your architecture.
A CVE names a product. Whether it matters depends on where that product sits in your systems: what reaches it, which trust boundary it guards and what it can reach once compromised. Veriom maps your components, their relationships and your trust boundaries from your code, cloud and delivery evidence, so you can see where a component like this sits. The radar itself does not look at your systems.
Components it touches
- Credentials kept in code, configuration, images or firmware. The flaw sits between a stored secret and anyone who can read where it is kept.
Trust boundaries in play
- Authenticated network access. An account is needed, so exposure follows who can sign in: customers, partners or staff.
- Between a stored secret and anyone who can read where it is kept. An attacker who crosses it can sign in with credentials the vendor shipped or stored unprotected.
Questions to answer about your own systems
- Where does Strapi run in your systems, and at which version?
- Which of those instances can be reached from the internet or partner networks?
- What can it reach once compromised: which data stores, secrets and services?
Sources
- CVE records and CVSS scores from the NVD CVE API. This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD.
- Exploitation status from CISA’s Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog.
- Exploit likelihood from FIRST’s Exploit Prediction Scoring System (EPSS), refreshed daily.
- Explanations are written by Veriom from fixed templates over each record’s data, not by a person reviewing each CVE. Descriptions are quoted from the records as published.