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Medium

Privilege escalation: all users can access Admin-level API keys

  • Disclosed: 22.07.2021
  • Updated: 11.10.2026 10:22

Impact

An error in the implementation of the limits service in 4.0.0 allows all authenticated users (including contributors) to view admin-level API keys via the integrations API endpoint, leading to a privilege escalation vulnerability.

Ghost(Pro) has already been patched. Self-hosters are impacted if running Ghost a version between 4.0.0 and 4.9.4. Immediate action should be taken to secure your site - see patches & workarounds below.

It is highly recommended to regenerate all API keys after patching or applying the workaround below.

Patches

Fixed in 4.10.0, all 4.x sites should upgrade as soon as possible.

Workarounds

  • Disable all non-Administrator accounts to prevent API access.

For more information

If you have any questions or comments about this advisory:

Credits: Aden Yap Chuen Zhen, BAE Systems Applied Intelligence (Malaysia)

Affected software

Click a technology to see all vulnerabilities affecting it.

PlatformPackageVulnerable versionsFixed in
npm package ghost >= 4.0.0, < 4.10.0 4.10.0

References

CVSS score 6.5/10
CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N
Weakness (CWE)
CWE-200, CWE-269
Platform
npm
Package
ghost
Disclosed
22.07.2021
Updated
11.10.2026 10:22

Sources and licenses

OSV / GitHub Advisory Database - GHSA-j5c2-hm46-wp5c - CC BY 4.0

Vulnerability history: ghost

All published vulnerabilities of this package (npm package), newest first. Shows whether this is a one-off slip or a package that needs watching.

All (61) in the archive
Total entries
61
First → latest
04.2021 10.2026
Without a fix
3
Exploited in attacks
0

Severity breakdown

  • Critical 4
  • High 16
  • Medium 38
  • Low 3

Disclosures per year

Severity:
  1. Privilege escalation: all users can access Admin-level API keys this entry
    Medium · 6.5 CVE-2021-39192 >= 4.0.0, < 4.10.0 4.10.0
  2. Ghost: Remote Code Execution via Bookmark Card Images
    High · 8.8 CVE-2026-105642 >= 6.56.0, < 6.67.0 6.67.0
  3. Ghost: Stored XSS via Embed Card Previews
    High · 7.3 CVE-2026-105643 >= 6.34.0, < 6.67.0 6.67.0
  4. Ghost: Stored XSS via SVG Uploads Bypassing Sanitization
    High · 7.3 CVE-2026-105649 >= 4.22.0, < 6.65.0 6.65.0
  5. Ghost: Stored XSS via oEmbed Photo Responses
    High · 8.1 CVE-2026-104414 >= 2.5.0, < 6.64.0 6.64.0
  6. Ghost: Stored XSS via Bookmark Card Images
    High · 7.3 CVE-2026-104413 >= 5.94.0, < 6.64.0 6.64.0
  7. Ghost: Invite Token Disclosure in Ghost Admin API
    High · 7.5 CVE-2026-104416 >= 4.39.0, < 6.64.0 6.64.0
  8. Ghost: Remote Code Execution via Theme Translation Files
    High · 7.2 CVE-2026-104418 >= 6.10.3, < 6.64.0 6.64.0
  9. Ghost: Stored XSS via File Uploads on Local Storage
    High · 7.3 CVE-2026-104411 >= 6.22.1, < 6.64.0 6.64.0
  10. Ghost: Cache-poisoning XSS in Ghost frontend via x-ghost-preview header
    Critical · 9.6 CVE-2026-53943 >= 4.0.0, < 6.37.0 6.37.0
  11. Ghost has incomplete CSRF protections around OTC use
    High · 7.5 CVE-2026-29784 >= 5.101.6, < 6.19.3 6.19.3
  12. Ghost Vulnerable to Remote Code Execution via Malicious Themes
    High · 7.6 CVE-2026-29053 >= 0.7.2, < 6.19.1 6.19.1
  13. Ghost has a SQL injection in Content API
    Critical · 9.4 CVE-2026-26980 >= 3.24.0, < 6.19.1 6.19.1
  14. Ghost vulnerable to XSS via malicious Portal preview links
    High · 8.8 CVE-2026-24778 >= 5.43.0, < 5.121.0, >= 6.0.0, < 6.15.0 5.121.0, 6.15.0
  15. Ghost has Staff Token permission bypass
    High · 8.1 CVE-2026-22595 >= 6.0.0, < 6.11.0, >= 5.105.0, < 5.130.6 6.11.0, 5.130.6
  16. Ghost has Staff 2FA bypass
    High · 8.1 CVE-2026-22594 >= 6.0.0, < 6.11.0, >= 5.105.0, < 5.130.6 6.11.0, 5.130.6
  17. Path Traversal in Ghost
    High · 7.5 CVE-2023-32235 < 5.42.1 5.42.1
  18. Ghost vulnerable to information disclosure of private API fields
    High · 7.5 CVE-2023-31133 < 5.46.1 5.46.1
  19. ghost vulnerable to unauthorized newsletter modification via improper access controls
    High · 8.5 CVE-2022-41654 >= 5.0.0, < 5.22.7, >= 4.46.0, < 4.48.8 5.22.7, 4.48.8
  20. Arbitrary file upload in Ghost
    Critical · 9.8 CVE-2022-27139 <= 4.39.0 no fix
  21. Arbitrary file upload in Ghost
    Critical · 9.8 CVE-2022-28397 <= 4.42.0 no fix

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