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CVE-2026-48172 · CVE record: PUBLISHED

LiteSpeed cPanel Plugin Privilege Escalation Vulnerability

LiteSpeed Technologies cPanel Plugin, LiteSpeed Technologies WHM Plugin

LiteSpeed User-End cPanel Plugin before 2.4.5 allows privilege escalation (possibly to root), as exploited in the wild in May 2026. Detection is best done via a command line of grep -rE "cpanel_jsonapi_func=redisAble" /var/cpanel/logs /usr/local/cpanel/logs/ 2>/dev/null in Bash. If you get no output, you have not been hit with exploitation of the vulnerability. If there is output, we recommend you examine the IP addresses in the list, determine if they are valid IP addresses, and if not, block them. To determine damage done, examine the system logs for use by the detected IP addresses. The issue is related to mishandling of Redis enable/disable features. The recommended minimum version is 2.4.7.

Exploitation evidence

Known exploited · CISA KEV listed

Added 2026-05-26. Ransomware campaign use: Unknown.

CISA required action: Apply mitigations per vendor instructions, follow applicable BOD 22-01 guidance for cloud services, or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.

CISA due date: 2026-05-29. This is the catalog’s deadline, not an assessment of your organization’s exposure.

KEV checked 13 Nov 2026, 00:20 Jerusalem · Original catalog ↗

Reported products and versions

LiteSpeed Technologies / cPanel Plugin

Default status: unaffected

affected: 2.3 to < 2.4.7 (custom)

LiteSpeed Technologies / WHM Plugin

Default status: unaffected

affected: 0 to < 5.3.1.0 (custom)

Fixes and workarounds

Installation of LiteSpeed WHM PlugIn 5.3.1.0 and cPanel 2.4.7. Though installation of WHM 5.2.10 and cPanel 2.4.5 and above mitigate most of the issues.

Sources and related reporting

CVE Program record ↗ · Download tracked evidence as JSON

Observed change timeline

History begins when Egret first downloads each source. It is not the complete upstream CVE history.

12 Nov 2026, 18:20 Jerusalem · EPSS observation updated

Stored EPSS snapshot at this observation.

{
  "date": "2026-11-12",
  "epss": 0.17915,
  "percentile": 0.97219
}

10 Nov 2026, 18:20 Jerusalem · EPSS observation updated

Stored EPSS snapshot at this observation.

{
  "date": "2026-11-10",
  "epss": 0.17915,
  "percentile": 0.97202
}

09 Nov 2026, 18:20 Jerusalem · EPSS observation updated

Stored EPSS snapshot at this observation.

{
  "date": "2026-11-09",
  "epss": 0.17915,
  "percentile": 0.97198
}

08 Nov 2026, 18:20 Jerusalem · EPSS observation updated

Stored EPSS snapshot at this observation.

{
  "date": "2026-11-08",
  "epss": 0.17915,
  "percentile": 0.97197
}

07 Nov 2026, 18:20 Jerusalem · EPSS observation updated

Stored EPSS snapshot at this observation.

{
  "date": "2026-11-07",
  "epss": 0.17915,
  "percentile": 0.97195
}

06 Nov 2026, 18:20 Jerusalem · EPSS observation updated

Stored EPSS snapshot at this observation.

{
  "date": "2026-11-06",
  "epss": 0.17915,
  "percentile": 0.97191
}

06 Nov 2026, 06:20 Jerusalem · EPSS observation updated

Stored EPSS snapshot at this observation.

{
  "date": "2026-11-05",
  "epss": 0.17915,
  "percentile": 0.97189
}

04 Nov 2026, 18:20 Jerusalem · EPSS observation updated

Stored EPSS snapshot at this observation.

{
  "date": "2026-11-04",
  "epss": 0.17915,
  "percentile": 0.97188
}

03 Nov 2026, 18:20 Jerusalem · EPSS observation updated

Stored EPSS snapshot at this observation.

{
  "date": "2026-11-03",
  "epss": 0.17915,
  "percentile": 0.97183
}

03 Nov 2026, 12:20 Jerusalem · CVE Program record changed

Stored CNA snapshot at this observation.

{
  "containers": {
    "adp": [
      {
        "metrics": [
          {
            "other": {
              "content": {
                "id": "CVE-2026-48172",
                "options": [
                  {
                    "Exploitation": "active"
                  },
                  {
                    "Automatable": "yes"
                  },
                  {
                    "Technical Impact": "total"
                  }
                ],
                "role": "CISA Coordinator",
                "timestamp": "2026-05-27T03:55:25.936300Z",
                "version": "2.0.3"
              },
              "type": "ssvc"
            }
          },
          {
            "other": {
              "content": {
                "dateAdded": "2026-05-26",
                "reference": "https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2026-48172"
              },
              "type": "kev"
            }
          }
        ],
        "providerMetadata": {
          "dateUpdated": "2026-10-07T18:11:52.501Z",
          "orgId": "134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0",
          "shortName": "CISA-ADP"
        },
        "references": [
          {
            "tags": [
              "government-resource"
            ],
            "url": "https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2026-48172"
          }
        ],
        "title": "CISA ADP Vulnrichment"
      }
    ],
    "cna": {
      "affected": [
        {
          "collectionURL": "https://www.litespeedtech.com/products/litespeed-web-server/control-panel-support/download/",
          "defaultStatus": "unaffected",
          "packageName": "WHM Plugin/cPanel Plugin",
          "platforms": [
            "Linux"
          ],
          "product": "cPanel Plugin",
          "vendor": "LiteSpeed Technologies",
          "versions": [
            {
              "lessThan": "2.4.7",
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "2.3",
              "versionType": "custom"
            }
          ]
        },
        {
          "defaultStatus": "unaffected",
          "packageName": "WHM Plugin/cPanel Plugin",
          "platforms": [
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          ],
          "product": "WHM Plugin",
          "vendor": "LiteSpeed Technologies",
          "versions": [
            {
              "lessThan": "5.3.1.0",
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "0",
              "versionType": "custom"
            }
          ]
        }
      ],
      "configurations": [
        {
          "lang": "en",
          "supportingMedia": [
            {
              "base64": false,
              "type": "text/html",
              "value": "Installation of the LiteSpeed cPanel PlugIn v2.3 or higher."
            }
          ],
          "value": "Installation of the LiteSpeed cPanel PlugIn v2.3 or higher."
        }
      ],
      "descriptions": [
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          "lang": "en",
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        }
      ],
      "metrics": [
        {
          "cvssV4_0": {
            "Automatable": "NOT_DEFINED",
            "Recovery": "NOT_DEFINED",
            "Safety": "NOT_DEFINED",
            "attackComplexity": "LOW",
            "attackRequirements": "NONE",
            "attackVector": "NETWORK",
            "baseScore": 10,
            "baseSeverity": "CRITICAL",
            "privilegesRequired": "NONE",
            "providerUrgency": "NOT_DEFINED",
            "subAvailabilityImpact": "HIGH",
            "subConfidentialityImpact": "HIGH",
            "subIntegrityImpact": "HIGH",
            "userInteraction": "NONE",
            "valueDensity": "NOT_DEFINED",
            "vectorString": "CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:H/SI:H/SA:H",
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            "vulnAvailabilityImpact": "HIGH",
            "vulnConfidentialityImpact": "HIGH",
            "vulnIntegrityImpact": "HIGH",
            "vulnerabilityResponseEffort": "NOT_DEFINED"
          },
          "format": "CVSS",
          "scenarios": [
            {
              "lang": "en",
              "value": "GENERAL"
            }
          ]
        }
      ],
      "problemTypes": [
        {
          "descriptions": [
            {
              "cweId": "CWE-266",
              "description": "CWE-266 Incorrect Privilege Assignment",
              "lang": "en",
              "type": "CWE"
            }
          ]
        }
      ],
      "providerMetadata": {
        "dateUpdated": "2026-05-24T23:05:58.862Z",
        "orgId": "8254265b-2729-46b6-b9e3-3dfca2d5bfca",
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      },
      "references": [
        {
          "url": "https://www.litespeedtech.com/products/litespeed-web-server/control-panel-support/cpanel"
        },
        {
          "url": "https://www.litespeedtech.com/products/litespeed-web-server/control-panel-support/release-log"
        },
        {
          "url": "https://blog.litespeedtech.com/2026/05/21/security-update-for-litespeed-cpanel-plugin/"
        }
      ],
      "solutions": [
        {
          "lang": "en",
          "supportingMedia": [
            {
              "base64": false,
              "type": "text/html",
              "value": "Installation of LiteSpeed WHM PlugIn 5.3.1.0 and cPanel 2.4.7.&nbsp; Though installation of WHM 5.2.10 and cPanel 2.4.5 and above mitigate most of the issues."
            }
          ],
          "value": "Installation of LiteSpeed WHM PlugIn 5.3.1.0 and cPanel 2.4.7.  Though installation of WHM 5.2.10 and cPanel 2.4.5 and above mitigate most of the issues."
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "x_known-exploited-vulnerability"
      ],
      "x_generator": {
        "engine": "CVE-Request-form 0.0.1"
      }
    }
  },
  "cveMetadata": {
    "assignerOrgId": "8254265b-2729-46b6-b9e3-3dfca2d5bfca",
    "assignerShortName": "mitre",
    "cveId": "CVE-2026-48172",
    "datePublished": "2026-05-21T00:38:04.489Z",
    "dateReserved": "2026-05-21T00:38:03.845Z",
    "dateUpdated": "2026-10-07T18:11:52.501Z",
    "state": "PUBLISHED"
  },
  "dataType": "CVE_RECORD",
  "dataVersion": "5.2"
}

03 Nov 2026, 02:22 Jerusalem · EPSS observation updated

Stored EPSS snapshot at this observation.

{
  "date": "2026-11-02",
  "epss": 0.17915,
  "percentile": 0.97179
}

03 Nov 2026, 02:22 Jerusalem · CISA KEV status changed

Stored KEV snapshot at this observation.

{
  "cveID": "CVE-2026-48172",
  "cwes": [
    "CWE-266"
  ],
  "dateAdded": "2026-05-26",
  "dueDate": "2026-05-29",
  "forensicTriage": "No",
  "knownRansomwareCampaignUse": "Unknown",
  "notes": "https://blog.litespeedtech.com/2026/05/21/security-update-for-litespeed-cpanel-plugin/ ; https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-48172",
  "product": "cPanel Plugin",
  "requiredAction": "Apply mitigations per vendor instructions, follow applicable BOD 22-01 guidance for cloud services, or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.",
  "shortDescription": "LiteSpeed cPanel Plugin contains privilege escalation vulnerability that is exposed via the user-end cPanel plugin, which can be abused by any cPanel user account to execute arbitrary scripts with root privileges.",
  "vendorProject": "LiteSpeed",
  "vulnerabilityName": "LiteSpeed cPanel Plugin Privilege Escalation Vulnerability"
}

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