CVE-2026-108981 (CVSS 3.6)

Description

ngx_cache_purge before 3.0.4 can allow file deletion via a symlink attack in certain situations where nginx and a served application (e.g., WordPress) run under the same user account. The attacker must be able to create a symlink inside the cache path. Version 3.0.4 fixes this for the case of a symlink created at an arbitrary earlier time, but does not resolve an applicable TOCTOU race condition. (The ngx_cache_purge module follows symlinks while walking the cache directory tree during purge operations. The module relies on nginx's ngx_walk_tree(), which relies on stat() and therefore follows symlinks.)

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CVSS v3.1 Score

3.6

LOW

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:L

EPSS — Exploit Prediction

0.0012

Probability of exploitation

0.02%

Percentile rank

EPSS estimates the probability that this vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within the next 30 days. A higher score means more likely to be exploited.

Weakness Type (CWE)

CWE-61 CWE-61

References

Other References

https://github.com/nginx-modules/ngx_cache_purge/commit/a6da1352f52a8a02dd6828e88c39ed42fddcee96 https://github.com/nginx-modules/ngx_cache_purge/pull/72 https://github.com/nginx-modules/ngx_cache_purge/releases/tag/3.0.4

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-108981? +

ngx_cache_purge before 3.0.4 can allow file deletion via a symlink attack in certain situations where nginx and a served application (e.g., WordPress) run under the same user account. The attacker must be able to create a symlink inside the cache path. Version 3.0.4 fixes this for the case of a symlink created at an arbitrary earlier time, but does not resolve an applicable TOCTOU race condition. (The ngx_cache_purge module follows symlinks while walking the cache directory tree during purge operations. The module relies on nginx's ngx_walk_tree(), which relies on stat() and therefore follows symlinks.) It has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 3.6 (LOW).

How severe is CVE-2026-108981? +

CVE-2026-108981 has a CVSS v3.1 score of 3.6 out of 10, rated LOW. This is a low-severity vulnerability with limited impact. The EPSS score is 0.0012, placing it in the 0th percentile for exploitation probability.

How do I check if I'm vulnerable to CVE-2026-108981? +

You can use Secably's free Website Scanner to check your website for known vulnerabilities. For infrastructure scanning, use the Port Scanner to identify exposed services that may be affected. Check the vendor advisories linked above for specific patch and version information.

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