---
title: "WEB-CMS-005 CMS Configuration Writable by Other Users"
canonical: https://openvapt.com/checks/WEB-CMS-005.html
html: https://openvapt.com/checks/WEB-CMS-005.html
site: OpenVAPT, https://openvapt.com/
license: OpenVAPT Source-Available Licence 1.3, https://openvapt.com/legal/licence-text.html
modified: 2026-10-14
version: 0.1.0-alpha.6
---

# WEB-CMS-005 CMS Configuration Writable by Other Users

Checks whether wp-config.php, Joomla configuration.php or Drupal settings.php is group- or world-writable.

- Domain: Web Apps
- Severity: High
- Control category: Access Control
- Fix effort: low
- CVSS v3.1 vector: `CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`
- CIS Controls v8: 3.3
- NIST CSF 2.0: PR.AA-05, PR.DS-01
- CWE: CWE-732
- OWASP Top 10 2021: A05:2021
- OWASP WSTG v4.2: WSTG-CONF-09
- NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5: AC-3, CM-5

## Why It Matters

These files are PHP code that runs on every request. Whoever can write them can add a backdoor that runs as the web server, which is how many shared-hosting compromises spread from one site to the next.

## How It Detects

Finds the configuration files through the local web roots and fails when the group-write or world-write permission bit is set.

## How to Fix

chmod 640 (or 440) <file>. Drupal also expects sites/default to be 555 after installation. Review the file for code you did not add.

## How to Verify

```
stat -c '%a %n' <file>  shows no write bit for group or others.
```

## Learn the Theory

- [P6 Information Exposure and Misconfiguration](https://openvapt.com/academy/p6.md)
- [P14 CMS Hardening in Depth: WordPress, Joomla and Drupal](https://openvapt.com/academy/p14.md)

## References

- [WordPress Developer Resources, Hardening WordPress](https://developer.wordpress.org/advanced-administration/security/hardening/)
- [Drupal.org, Securing file permissions and ownership](https://www.drupal.org/docs/administering-a-drupal-site/security-in-drupal/securing-file-permissions-and-ownership)

## Source Code

https://github.com/OpenVAPT/openvapt/blob/574f7f3333c44b75a3c649e2d93a76d507f75adf/internal/checks/web/cms_more.go

Run it: `openvapt scan --only WEB-CMS-005`. Read it offline: `openvapt explain WEB-CMS-005`.

---

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