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CVE-2026-53953 – Admin Account Takeover via Predictable Password Reset – GetSimple CMS-CE 3.3.22

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Summary

CVE-2026-53953 is a critical vulnerability in GetSimple CMS-CE (Community Edition) that allows unauthenticated attackers to take over administrator accounts. The flaw stems from a predictable password-reset mechanism combined with the absence of any brute-force protection on the admin login, and carries a CVSS v3.1 score of 9.1 (Critical).

Technical details

  • Root cause: the createRandomPassword() function seeds PHP’s rand() using srand((double)microtime()*1000000), which limits the effective seed space to roughly one million possible values derived from the fractional-second timestamp of the request.
  • This weak seeding makes the "random" temporary password generated during a reset predictable/brute-forceable by an attacker who can approximate the request time.
  • Trigger conditions: an unauthenticated attacker submits a password-reset request (e.g., via /admin/resetpassword.php) for the administrator account, then generates a set of candidate passwords based on the limited seed space.
  • The admin login endpoint (/admin/index.php) has no rate limiting, account lockout, CAPTCHA, or delay mechanism, allowing the attacker to test all candidate passwords against it without resistance.
  • Attack vector: network, no authentication or user interaction required.
  • Impact: full compromise of the administrator account, granting the attacker complete control over the CMS (content, configuration, and potentially server-side code execution through CMS admin functionality).

Affected software

  • GetSimple CMS-CE (Community Edition), version 3.3.22

Severity

  • CVSS v3.1 Base Score: 9.1 (Critical)
  • Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N

Mitigation and recommended actions

  • Immediate: No official patched version is available as of publication. Monitor the vendor’s GitHub repository for a fix that replaces rand()/srand() with a cryptographically secure generator (e.g., random_int()) and adds single-use, time-limited reset tokens.
  • Workarounds: Until a patch is released, restrict network access to the /admin/ path (e.g., IP allow-listing, VPN, or a reverse proxy requiring separate authentication), disable the password-reset feature if not required, and add rate limiting/account lockout or a Web Application Firewall rule in front of the admin login endpoint to block repeated login attempts. Monitor logs for repeated password-reset requests or high-volume login attempts against the admin account.

References

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