CVE-2025-13980: Drupal CKEditor 5 Auth Bypass Vulnerability

CVE-2025-13980 Overview

CVE-2025-13980 is an Authentication Bypass Using an Alternate Path or Channel vulnerability (CWE-288) affecting Drupal CKEditor 5 Premium Features. This vulnerability allows attackers to bypass authentication mechanisms through an alternate path or channel, potentially enabling unauthorized access to functionality that should be restricted to authenticated users.

The vulnerability exists in multiple versions of the CKEditor 5 Premium Features module for Drupal, allowing malicious actors to circumvent security controls and access protected features without proper authentication.

Critical Impact

Attackers can bypass authentication controls to access restricted functionality in Drupal sites using vulnerable versions of CKEditor 5 Premium Features, potentially exposing sensitive content or administrative capabilities.

Affected Products

• Drupal CKEditor 5 Premium Features versions 0.0.0 to 1.2.9
• Drupal CKEditor 5 Premium Features versions 1.3.0 to 1.3.5
• Drupal CKEditor 5 Premium Features versions 1.4.0 to 1.4.2
• Drupal CKEditor 5 Premium Features versions 1.5.0
• Drupal CKEditor 5 Premium Features versions 1.6.0 to 1.6.3

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-01-28 - CVE-2025-13980 published to NVD
• 2026-01-29 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-13980

Vulnerability Analysis

This Authentication Bypass vulnerability (CWE-288) occurs when the CKEditor 5 Premium Features module fails to properly validate authentication through all available access paths. The vulnerability allows attackers to access protected functionality by using an alternate channel that does not enforce the same authentication requirements as the primary access path.

The attack can be executed remotely over the network without requiring any user interaction or prior authentication. While the vulnerability does not allow attackers to modify data or cause denial of service, it can result in unauthorized disclosure of information that should be protected behind authentication barriers.

Root Cause

The root cause of CVE-2025-13980 lies in incomplete authentication enforcement within the CKEditor 5 Premium Features module. The module implements authentication checks on primary access paths but fails to apply equivalent controls to alternative access channels, creating an authentication gap that attackers can exploit.

This type of vulnerability typically occurs when developers implement authentication for a primary interface but overlook secondary endpoints, API routes, or legacy access paths that provide equivalent functionality.

Attack Vector

The attack vector for CVE-2025-13980 is network-based, meaning an attacker can exploit this vulnerability remotely without requiring local access to the target system. The attack characteristics include:

• Network Access: The vulnerability can be exploited remotely over the network
• No Authentication Required: Attackers do not need valid credentials to exploit the vulnerability
• No User Interaction: The attack can succeed without any action from legitimate users
• Information Disclosure: Successful exploitation may result in unauthorized access to confidential information

Attackers targeting this vulnerability would identify the alternate access path within the CKEditor 5 Premium Features module that lacks proper authentication validation, then craft requests to access protected functionality through this unprotected channel.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-13980

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected access to CKEditor 5 Premium Features functionality from unauthenticated sessions
• Anomalous HTTP requests to CKEditor 5 Premium Features endpoints without valid session tokens
• Log entries showing access to restricted features without corresponding authentication events

Detection Strategies

• Monitor web application logs for access attempts to CKEditor 5 Premium Features endpoints that bypass normal authentication flows
• Implement web application firewall (WAF) rules to detect and alert on suspicious request patterns to the affected module
• Review access logs for requests to CKEditor endpoints that lack associated authentication session data

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable verbose logging for the CKEditor 5 Premium Features module to capture detailed access information
• Configure intrusion detection systems to alert on authentication bypass patterns targeting Drupal modules
• Establish baseline access patterns for CKEditor features to identify anomalous unauthenticated access attempts

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-13980

Immediate Actions Required

• Update CKEditor 5 Premium Features to the latest patched version immediately
• Audit access logs for any signs of exploitation prior to patching
• Review Drupal site permissions to ensure proper access controls are in place as an additional defense layer

Patch Information

Drupal has released security patches addressing CVE-2025-13980. Organizations should update to the following fixed versions:

• Version 1.2.10 or later for the 1.2.x branch
• Version 1.3.6 or later for the 1.3.x branch
• Version 1.4.3 or later for the 1.4.x branch
• Version 1.5.1 or later for the 1.5.x branch
• Version 1.6.4 or later for the 1.6.x branch

For detailed patch information, refer to the Drupal Security Advisory SA-CONTRIB-2025-118.

Workarounds

• If immediate patching is not possible, consider temporarily disabling the CKEditor 5 Premium Features module until updates can be applied
• Implement additional authentication controls at the web server or reverse proxy level to restrict access to CKEditor endpoints
• Use a web application firewall to block suspicious requests targeting the affected module

# Drupal module update using Composer
composer update drupal/ckeditor5_premium_features --with-dependencies
drush cache:rebuild
drush updatedb