{"id":"CVE-2026-54420","published":"2026-06-14T04:16:28Z","modified":"2026-07-23T09:10:00Z","title":"LiteSpeed cPanel Plugin UNIX Symbolic Link (Symlink) Following Vulnerability","vendor":"LiteSpeed","product":"cPanel Plugin","tier":"core","eol":null,"description":{"text":"LiteSpeed cPanel plugin before 2.4.8 (as distributed in LiteSpeed WHM PlugIn before 5.3.2.0) mishandles symlinks provided by a user with FTP or web shell access on a shared hosting server running CloudLinux/CageFS, as exploited in the wild in May 2026.","provenance":"source","from":"NVD"},"summary":{"text":"The LiteSpeed cPanel plugin (before 2.4.8, as distributed in LiteSpeed WHM PlugIn before 5.3.2.0) mishandles symbolic links, a UNIX symlink-following weakness. An attacker with low-privilege access such as FTP or web shell access to a shared hosting server running CloudLinux/CageFS can exploit it over the network, with high attack complexity, no user interaction, and a scope change.","provenance":"ai","model":"claude-haiku-5-5","generatedAt":"2026-10-23T07:14:53Z"},"cvss":{"score":8.5,"severity":"HIGH","version":"3.1","vector":"CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H","provenance":"source","from":"NVD"},"epss":{"score":0.01439,"percentile":0.73133,"date":"2026-10-30","provenance":"source"},"kev":{"dateAdded":"2026-06-15","dueDate":"2026-06-18","ransomware":false,"requiredAction":"Apply mitigations in accordance with vendor instructions, ensuring compliance with CISA’s BOD 26-04 Prioritizing Security Updates Based on Risk (see URL in Notes) guidance and CISA’s “Forensics Triage Requirements” (see URL in Notes). Follow applicable BOD 26-04 guidance for cloud services or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable. Stakeholders are responsible for evaluating each asset's internet exposure and ensuring adherence to BOD 26-04 patching guidelines.","notes":"https://blog.litespeedtech.com/2026/06/01/security-update-for-litespeed-cpanel-plugin-2/ ; BOD 26-04: https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/directives/bod-26-04-prioritizing-security-updates-based-risk ; Forensics Triage Requirements: https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/directives/bod-26-04-implementation-guidance-prioritizing-security-updates-based-risk ; https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-54420","provenance":"source"},"vulncheckKev":{"dateAdded":"2026-06-01","exploitedFirstSeen":"2026-06-01","ransomware":false,"evidence":[{"url":"https://blog.litespeedtech.com/2026/06/01/security-update-for-litespeed-cpanel-plugin-2/","date":"2026-06-01"},{"url":"https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-54420","date":"2026-06-14"},{"url":"https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/feeds/known_exploited_vulnerabilities.json","date":"2026-06-15"},{"url":"https://www.acn.gov.it/portale/w/rilevato-sfruttamento-di-vulnerabilita-in-prodotto-litespeed-cpanel-plugin","date":"2026-06-16"},{"url":"https://www.recordedfuture.com/blog/june-2026-cve-landscape","date":"2026-07-10"}],"evidenceTotal":5,"provenance":"source"},"exploited":true,"otx":{"pulseCount":50,"pulses":[{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 31, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ae4aefab0c2191cecd41862","created":"2026-10-30"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 30, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ae35d889ea92b4ce19c2680","created":"2026-10-29"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 29, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ae20c1db17e7057ae7d9ad1","created":"2026-10-28"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 28, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ae0ba7e0e2a97ff7b218819","created":"2026-10-27"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 27, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6adf68b85c3e852f3c111d18","created":"2026-10-26"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 24, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6adb740e397c3ad4799aa4cd","created":"2026-10-23"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 23, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ada236fcfba2dfa730ea482","created":"2026-10-22"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 22, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ad8d33a077cbb5cab524d80","created":"2026-10-21"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 21, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ad78130c4d1ac2be83a8b6d","created":"2026-10-20"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 20, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ad62f63c24a405a3423cc13","created":"2026-10-19"}],"provenance":"machine"},"cwes":[{"id":"CWE-61","name":"UNIX Symbolic Link (Symlink) Following"}],"references":[{"url":"https://blog.litespeedtech.com/2026/06/01/security-update-for-litespeed-cpanel-plugin-2/","tags":["Vendor Advisory"]},{"url":"https://www.litespeedtech.com/products/litespeed-web-server/control-panel-support/cpanel","tags":["Product"]},{"url":"https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2026-54420","tags":["US Government Resource"]}],"techniques":[{"id":"T1190","name":"Exploit Public-Facing Application","tactics":["initial-access"],"provenance":"ai","basis":"ai-mapping","bases":["ai-mapping"],"basisDetail":"claude-haiku-5-5: web shell or FTP access enables symlink abuse","mappingType":"exploitation_technique","evidence":[{"from":"description","quote":"mishandles symlinks provided by a user with FTP or web shell access","start":93,"end":160}],"model":"claude-haiku-5-5","confidence":"medium","confidenceNote":"AI-mapped from the description (quote-validated, not expert-reviewed)"},{"id":"T1005","name":"Data from Local System","tactics":["collection"],"provenance":"ai","basis":"ai-mapping","bases":["ai-mapping"],"basisDetail":"claude-haiku-5-5: symlink following reads files outside sandbox","mappingType":"primary_impact","evidence":[{"from":"description","quote":"mishandles symlinks provided by a user with FTP or web shell access","start":93,"end":160}],"model":"claude-haiku-5-5","confidence":"medium","confidenceNote":"AI-mapped from the description (quote-validated, not expert-reviewed)"}],"reports":[],"affected":[],"advisories":[],"euvd":{"id":"EUVD-2026-36657","url":"https://euvd.enisa.europa.eu/vulnerability/EUVD-2026-36657","exploited":true,"exploitedSince":"2026-06-15","provenance":"source"},"exploits":[],"exploitSources":{"pocGithub":{"count":3,"skipped":1,"earliest":"2026-06-16","earliestUrl":"https://github.com/HORKimhab/CVE-2026-54420","repos":[{"name":"mahfuzreham/litespeed-cpanel-cve-2026-54420-fix","url":"https://github.com/mahfuzreham/litespeed-cpanel-cve-2026-54420-fix","stars":3,"created":"2026-06-16"},{"name":"HORKimhab/CVE-2026-54420","url":"https://github.com/HORKimhab/CVE-2026-54420","stars":1,"created":"2026-06-16"},{"name":"fevar54/CVE-2026-54420-LiteSpeed-Symlink-Exploit","url":"https://github.com/fevar54/CVE-2026-54420-LiteSpeed-Symlink-Exploit","stars":0,"created":"2026-06-18"}]},"first":{"date":"2026-06-16","source":"PoC-in-GitHub","url":"https://github.com/HORKimhab/CVE-2026-54420"},"provenance":"source"},"exploitRefs":[],"flow":[{"stage":"exploitation","techniques":["T1190"],"provenance":"ai"},{"stage":"primary","techniques":["T1005"],"provenance":"ai"}],"timeline":[{"date":"2026-06-01","kind":"exploited-reported","label":"Exploitation first reported (VulnCheck KEV evidence)","url":"https://blog.litespeedtech.com/2026/06/01/security-update-for-litespeed-cpanel-plugin-2/","provenance":"source"},{"date":"2026-06-14","kind":"published","label":"Published (NVD)","url":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-54420","provenance":"source"},{"date":"2026-06-15","kind":"kev","label":"Added to CISA KEV","url":"https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog","provenance":"source"},{"date":"2026-06-15","kind":"euvd-exploited","label":"ENISA EUVD: exploited","url":"https://euvd.enisa.europa.eu/vulnerability/EUVD-2026-36657","provenance":"source"},{"date":"2026-06-16","kind":"exploit-public","label":"First public exploit: PoC-in-GitHub","url":"https://github.com/HORKimhab/CVE-2026-54420","provenance":"source"}],"speed":{"daysToPublicExploit":2,"firstExploitFrom":"PoC-in-GitHub","daysToKev":1},"priority":{"score":68.6,"factors":[{"name":"In a KEV catalog","points":35.0,"detail":"listed in CISA KEV and VulnCheck KEV"},{"name":"Recent KEV listing","points":5.0,"detail":"added 152 days ago"},{"name":"Known ransomware use","points":0.0,"detail":"not known"},{"name":"EPSS percentile","points":14.63,"detail":"percentile 0.7313"},{"name":"Named in threat reports","points":0.0,"detail":"0 reports"},{"name":"Public exploit code","points":5.0,"detail":"3 PoC-in-GitHub repos"},{"name":"Mentioned in OTX pulses","points":3.0,"detail":"50 pulses"},{"name":"CVSS severity","points":5.95,"detail":"base score 8.5"},{"name":"End-of-life product","points":0.0,"detail":"supported or unknown"}]}}