CVE-2026-23493: Pimcore Information Disclosure Flaw

CVE-2026-23493 Overview

CVE-2026-23493 is a sensitive data exposure vulnerability in Pimcore, an Open Source Data & Experience Management Platform. Prior to versions 12.3.1 and 11.5.14, the http_error_log file stores the $_COOKIE and $_SERVER PHP superglobal variables, which means sensitive information such as database passwords, cookie session data, and other confidential details can be accessed or recovered through the Pimcore backend by users with administrative privileges.

Critical Impact

Authenticated attackers with high privileges can access sensitive configuration data including database credentials and session cookies stored in error logs, potentially leading to complete system compromise.

Affected Products

• Pimcore versions prior to 12.3.1
• Pimcore versions prior to 11.5.14
• All Pimcore installations using the default error logging configuration

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-01-15 - CVE-2026-23493 published to NVD
• 2026-01-20 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2026-23493

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-532 (Insertion of Sensitive Information into Log File). The issue stems from Pimcore's HTTP error logging mechanism, which indiscriminately captures and persists PHP superglobal variables including $_COOKIE, $_SERVER, and parametersPost data to the http_error_log database table.

When HTTP errors occur, the application logs comprehensive debugging information that includes session cookies, authentication tokens, server environment variables (which may contain database credentials, API keys, and other secrets), and POST parameters. This data remains accessible through the Pimcore backend interface to users with administrative access.

The vulnerability requires network access and high privileges to exploit, limiting the attack surface to authenticated administrators. However, once exploited, the confidentiality impact is high as attackers can extract credentials enabling lateral movement or privilege escalation beyond the Pimcore application.

Root Cause

The root cause lies in Pimcore's overly verbose error logging implementation. The MiscController.php in the SeoBundle was configured to search across sensitive fields including parametersPost, serverVars, and cookies in the http_error_log table. This design decision prioritized debugging convenience over security, violating the principle of least information exposure in logging systems.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is network-based, requiring an authenticated attacker with high-level privileges (such as an administrator or compromised admin account) to access the Pimcore backend. From there, the attacker can:

1. Navigate to the HTTP error log viewer in the Pimcore backend
2. Search or browse logged HTTP errors
3. Extract sensitive data from the stored $_COOKIE, $_SERVER, and POST parameter values
4. Use harvested credentials to access databases, APIs, or other connected systems

// Security patch in bundles/SeoBundle/src/Controller/MiscController.php
// Before: Searching across sensitive fields
// foreach (['uri', 'code', 'parametersGet', 'parametersPost', 'serverVars', 'cookies'] as $field) {

// After: Sensitive fields removed from search
            $filter = $db->quote('%' . $filter . '%');

            $conditionParts = [];
            foreach (['uri', 'code', 'parametersGet'] as $field) {
                $conditionParts[] = $field . ' LIKE ' . $filter;
            }
            $condition = ' WHERE ' . implode(' OR ', $conditionParts);

Source: GitHub Commit

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-23493

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual access patterns to the HTTP error log viewer in the Pimcore backend
• Database queries targeting the http_error_log table with searches across cookies, serverVars, or parametersPost columns
• Administrative users exporting or repeatedly viewing error log entries
• Evidence of credential reuse from data that could only be obtained from server environment variables

Detection Strategies

• Monitor Pimcore backend access logs for repeated queries to the error log functionality
• Implement database audit logging to detect SELECT queries against sensitive columns in http_error_log
• Alert on administrative account access from unusual IP addresses or geographic locations
• Review Pimcore version across all deployments to identify unpatched instances

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable comprehensive audit logging for all Pimcore administrative actions
• Configure SIEM rules to alert on error log access patterns indicative of data harvesting
• Implement network segmentation to limit backend access to trusted networks
• Deploy file integrity monitoring on Pimcore configuration and log directories

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-23493

Immediate Actions Required

• Upgrade Pimcore to version 12.3.1 or 11.5.14 immediately
• Review administrative user accounts and remove unnecessary high-privilege access
• Audit the http_error_log table for any existing sensitive data exposure
• Rotate all credentials that may have been logged (database passwords, API keys, session secrets)

Patch Information

Pimcore has released security patches in versions 12.3.1 and 11.5.14 that address this vulnerability. The fix involves a database migration (Version20251217000100) that removes the parametersPost, cookies, and serverVars columns from the http_error_log table, preventing future logging of sensitive data. Additionally, the search functionality in MiscController.php has been updated to only query non-sensitive fields.

Detailed patch information is available in the GitHub Security Advisory GHSA-q433-j342-rp9h and the associated Pull Request #18918.

Workarounds

• If immediate patching is not possible, restrict backend access to a minimal set of trusted administrators
• Implement network-level access controls to limit who can reach the Pimcore backend
• Manually truncate or purge the http_error_log table to remove historically logged sensitive data
• Consider disabling HTTP error logging temporarily until the patch can be applied

# Configuration example - Truncate existing sensitive error log data
# Connect to your Pimcore database and run:
mysql -u pimcore_user -p pimcore_database -e "TRUNCATE TABLE http_error_log;"

# Verify Pimcore version after upgrade
php bin/console --version

# Clear Pimcore cache after upgrade
php bin/console cache:clear