CVE-2021-25973Network attack vector

Unauthorized account creation via unenforced signup setting

Published Nov 2, 2021 · Updated Apr 30, 2025

Improper authorization in Publify Core 9.0.0.pre1 through 9.2.4 allows remote attackers to create accounts despite disabled signup. The default Devise registration routes accept direct requests because allow_signup only hides the login-page link and no server-side controller check enforces the setting. No existing account or user interaction is required; exploitation creates an unauthorized contributor-profile account on an exposed Publify site.

CVSS severity6.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.83%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Improper authorization in Publify Core 9.0.0.pre1 through 9.2.4 allows remote attackers to create accounts despite disabled signup. The default Devise registration routes accept direct requests because allow_signup only hides the login-page link and no server-side controller check enforces the setting. No existing account or user interaction is required; exploitation creates an unauthorized contributor-profile account on an exposed Publify site.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-25973
Published
Nov 2, 2021
Updated
Apr 30, 2025
Vendor
Publify
Product
Publify Core
Classifications
CWE-285
Attack vector
network
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Nov 2, 2021CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Apr 30, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=9.0.0.pre1 <unspecified
  2. Affected versionversion=unspecified <=9.2.4

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

Publify · Publify Coreversion=9.0.0.pre1 <unspecified; version=unspecified <=9.2.4

Published CVSS scores

6.5MendCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N
6.4NVDAV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:N

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectornetwork
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-285Improper Authorization

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

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Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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