CVE-2026-54540: Command Injection (CVSS 8.8)

Description

Pheditor is a single-file editor and file manager written in PHP. Prior to version 2.0.5, there is an authenticated terminal command whitelist bypass. The terminal feature checks whether the submitted command starts with one of the configured TERMINAL_COMMANDS values, then passes the full command string to shell_exec(). Shell command substitution such as $() is not blocked, so an authenticated user with the terminal permission can bypass a restricted command allowlist and execute arbitrary shell commands as the web server user. This issue has been patched in version 2.0.5.

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CVSS v3.1 Score

8.8

HIGH

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

EPSS — Exploit Prediction

0.0071

Probability of exploitation

0.50%

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-78 OS Command Injection

References

Other References

https://github.com/pheditor/pheditor/releases/tag/2.0.5 https://github.com/pheditor/pheditor/security/advisories/GHSA-9643-6xjp-vx57 https://github.com/pheditor/pheditor/security/advisories/GHSA-9643-6xjp-vx57

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-54540? +

Pheditor is a single-file editor and file manager written in PHP. Prior to version 2.0.5, there is an authenticated terminal command whitelist bypass. The terminal feature checks whether the submitted command starts with one of the configured TERMINAL_COMMANDS values, then passes the full command string to shell_exec(). Shell command substitution such as $() is not blocked, so an authenticated user with the terminal permission can bypass a restricted command allowlist and execute arbitrary shell commands as the web server user. This issue has been patched in version 2.0.5. It has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 8.8 (HIGH).

How severe is CVE-2026-54540? +

CVE-2026-54540 has a CVSS v3.1 score of 8.8 out of 10, rated HIGH. This is a high-severity vulnerability that should be prioritized for patching. The EPSS score is 0.0071, placing it in the 1th percentile for exploitation probability.

How do I check if I'm vulnerable to CVE-2026-54540? +

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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