Craft CMS is a popular and powerful content management system used by developers for custom websites and digital experiences. Its flexibility, plugin support, and intuitive admin interface make it a favorite for agencies and organizations worldwide. But security is always a concern, especially when it comes to vulnerabilities that put your server and data at risk.

In this post, we’ll break down CVE-2025-32432, a recent and critical vulnerability affecting Craft CMS, allowing Remote Code Execution (RCE) with straightforward exploitation. We’ll look at affected versions, root cause, exploit demonstration, the official patch, and how you can secure your Craft CMS sites.

What is CVE-2025-32432?

CVE-2025-32432 is a Remote Code Execution (RCE) vulnerability in Craft CMS. Attackers can exploit this issue to run malicious PHP code on a vulnerable server. RCEs are about as severe as vulnerabilities get — a successful attack could mean server takeover, data theft, website defacement, and more.

If you run any of these, your sites are at risk.

> Note: This is an additional fix related to a previous vulnerability — CVE-2023-41892.

How the Vulnerability Works

While precise technical details aren't fully public to limit mass exploitation, the vulnerability centers around how Craft CMS handles certain inputs and templates received through HTTP requests. Attackers can craft a request that results in malicious code execution under specific conditions.

Some hints about the flaw come from the Craft CMS Security Advisory:

Exploitation Example

Let’s walk through a *simple* proof-of-concept (PoC) for educational purposes, based on similar vulnerabilities in CMSs.

Suppose you have a Craft CMS endpoint that accepts a template name via a GET parameter. If there’s no proper check, an attacker can supply a specially crafted template reference that contains PHP code.

Code Snippet (Example Flaw)

// Vulnerable route handler in Craft plugin (hypothetical)
if (isset($_GET['template'])) {
    $template = $_GET['template'];
    // Dangerous: evaluates user input
    include("/path/to/craft/templates/{$template}.php");
}

An attacker uploads a PHP file (malicious.php) with code like

<?php system($_GET['cmd']); ?>

Then visits

https://victim.com/index.php?action=plugin/controller&template=malicious&cmd=id

This runs the id command on the server and reveals system info. It could just as easily add a backdoor, dump databases, or destroy files.

> Caution: RCE vulnerabilities are extremely dangerous. Don’t test against anyone else’s site.

Real-World Impact

The Craft CMS bug is a high-impact, low-complexity attack. That means it’s easy for someone with basic skill to exploit it, and the consequences could be catastrophic:

Update to at least 3.9.15, 4.14.15, or 5.6.17 depending on your branch.

- Craft CMS Releases

3. Audit custom plugins and templates

- Ensure you never pass unsanitized user input to template loaders, eval, or any dangerous PHP functions.

4. Limit PHP file upload possibilities

- Only allow trusted roles or use strict file extension/type checking.

Official References

- Craft CMS Security Advisory (GitHub)
- Craft CMS Release Notes
- CVE-2023-41892 – The Related Issue
- OWASP – Remote Code Execution
- Craft CMS Website

Final Thoughts

CVE-2025-32432 is a reminder of the importance of keeping your CMS and plugins updated. Even reputable software like Craft CMS isn’t immune to security bugs — and RCE is as bad as it gets. Patch fast, review your code, and keep track of security advisories.

Have questions or want free security tips? Contact us or join the Craft CMS Discord.

Stay safe and keep building!

*This write-up is exclusive and intended to spread awareness and best practices for protecting your digital projects using Craft CMS.*

Timeline

Published on: 04/25/2025 15:15:36 UTC
Last modified on: 04/25/2025 20:15:39 UTC