CriticalCVE-2026-48172

    LiteSpeed cPanel Plugin Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2026-48172)

    Published Last modified In CISA KEV since Sources: CVE.org, EUVD, SingCERT

    What is affected, what to do

    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.

    The vulnerability is being actively exploited; treat it as a priority. Update LiteSpeed Technologies cPanel Plugin to version 2.4.7, LiteSpeed Technologies WHM Plugin to version 5.3.1.0. Immediate actions, mitigation and detection rules are in the runbook below.

    Affected
    • LiteSpeed Technologies cPanel Plugin lt 2.3..2.4.7
    • LiteSpeed Technologies WHM Plugin lt *..5.3.1.0
    Fixed in
    • LiteSpeed Technologies cPanel Plugin 2.4.7
    • LiteSpeed Technologies WHM Plugin 5.3.1.0

    Not sure whether and how you are affected? Ask a question about this vulnerability

    Metrics

    10.0

    Priority

    XIEM Effective CVSS: highest available CVSS rating from NVD and vendor data.

    Source: NVD, CVSS v4

    9.8

    CVSS v3

    Severity Critical on the scale from 0 to 10.

    Source: CVE.org, EUVD, SingCERT

    17.9 %

    EPSS score

    Elevated — model estimates 10-50% exploitation likelihood.

    Source: FIRST EPSS, percentile 97.2

    Show all metrics
    Severity
    Critical
    Priority (0–325)

    The priority score is a consolidated metric that condenses several individual signals into a single, action-guiding ranking: technical severity (CVSS), exploitation likelihood (EPSS), known-exploited status (KEV) and the context of the affected asset. The aim is to answer the only truly important question in vulnerability management: what first?

    Read in glossary
    243.31 Methodology
    Exploit maturity

    An exploit is code or a technique that specifically uses a concrete vulnerability to force unintended behaviour — such as executing code or escalating privileges. It is the tool that turns a theoretical flaw into a practical attack.

    Read in glossary
    actively exploitedSource: VulnCheck KEV (opens in a new tab), CSA/SingCERT How we classify
    XIEM Effective CVSS

    XIEM® is the tiered managed-security operating model from NEOSEC and a registered trademark of NEOSEC GmbH. It extends classic SIEM — the central collection, normalisation and correlation of security-relevant events — with endpoint forensics, network visibility and deception technology, and consolidates them into three building tiers: Sentry, Orchestrate and Command.

    Read in glossary
    10.0 Methodology
    CVSS v3

    CVSS is the globally established, open standard for assessing the technical severity of a vulnerability on a scale from 0 to 10. It describes how easily a flaw can be exploited and what damage it can cause — but not how likely its actual exploitation is. CVSS and the complementary EPSS deliberately answer different questions.

    Read in glossary
    9.8
    CVSS v4

    CVSS is the globally established, open standard for assessing the technical severity of a vulnerability on a scale from 0 to 10. It describes how easily a flaw can be exploited and what damage it can cause — but not how likely its actual exploitation is. CVSS and the complementary EPSS deliberately answer different questions.

    Read in glossary
    10.0
    EPSS score

    The EPSS score is the absolute model output for an individual vulnerability: the estimated probability of real-world exploitation within the next 30 days, expressed as a value between 0 and 1 (i.e. 0 % to 100 %). A score of 0.42 means „the model estimates a 42 % chance of real-world exploitation within 30 days“.

    Read in glossary
    17.9 %
    Elevated — model estimates 10-50% exploitation likelihood.
    EPSS percentile

    The EPSS percentile is the relative position of a vulnerability within all EPSS-scored CVEs, expressed as a value between 0 and 1. A percentile of 0.90 means „this CVE has a higher EPSS score than 90 % of all other scored CVEs“. Unlike the EPSS score, it is not a probability — but a positioning within a ranking.

    Read in glossary
    97.2
    Critical — this CVE ranks in the top fifth of all CVEs scored today (rank ≥ 80%).
    KEV status

    The KEV catalogue is a list maintained by the US authority CISA of vulnerabilities for which active exploitation in the wild has been confirmed. It answers not the question „how severe?“ but „is it already being attacked?“ — thereby sharply prioritising patching.

    Read in glossary
    Actively exploited
    Published
    In CISA KEV since

    The KEV catalogue is a list maintained by the US authority CISA of vulnerabilities for which active exploitation in the wild has been confirmed. It answers not the question „how severe?“ but „is it already being attacked?“ — thereby sharply prioritising patching.

    Read in glossary
    CWE

    CWE is a catalogue of typical weakness types in software and hardware — such as flawed input validation, unsafe memory handling or poor authentication. Where a CVE names a concrete vulnerability in a concrete product, a CWE describes the underlying class of defect.

    Read in glossary
    CWE-266

    Response and mitigation

    Why act now?

    Prioritisation rationale

    This CVE is on KEV because it has been exploited since May 2026. It turns any cPanel account into root on the whole server. The CVSS vector rates it network-reachable without authentication, but in practice the attacker needs a customer account. On shared hosting platforms, such an account is trivial to buy, sign up for or take over through credential stuffing. Typical targets are hosting providers, web agencies and organisations running their own cPanel/LiteSpeed stack. Tenant isolation and every customer's data on the host are at stake, which for NIS2-regulated hosting and cloud providers can quickly become a reportable incident. Model-based exploitation likelihood is only moderate and CISA has not flagged ransomware use. Even so, if you host third-party customers or many users on cPanel, treat this as critical with a 24-hour deadline. Single-tenant boxes with a handful of trusted accounts rank as high rather than critical.

    1. Runbook step 1

      Immediate response (0-24 h)

      • Hunt before you patch: On every cPanel server running LiteSpeed, run as root: grep -rE "cpanel_jsonapi_func=redisAble" /var/cpanel/logs /usr/local/cpanel/logs/ 2>/dev/null. No output means no evidence of exploitation. If there are hits, preserve the logs first, because log rotation can destroy evidence.
      • Upgrade the LiteSpeed User-End cPanel Plugin to 2.4.7 or later. NVD lists versions before 2.4.5 as affected, while CISA lists 2.3 through 2.4.7. The vendor's recommended minimum is 2.4.7. Also bring the WHM Plugin to 5.3.1.0. Check the vendor advisory for the exact update path (the WHM "LiteSpeed Web Server" plugin or the vendor update script).
      • If you cannot upgrade today, uninstall or disable the user-end cPanel plugin. The flaw sits in the Redis enable/disable handling that every cPanel user can reach. Losing that feature is far cheaper than giving root to every customer.
      • Triage the source IPs returned by the grep (customer IP or foreign IP, geolocation, login history). Block unknown addresses in CSF/iptables/nftables. Suspend the associated cPanel accounts (suspendacct) and reset their passwords.
      • If exploitation is confirmed, treat the host as fully compromised. Rotate the root password, the SSH keys in /root/.ssh/authorized_keys, WHM API tokens, database credentials and any stored customer secrets. Take a forensic snapshot and evaluate a rebuild.

    2. Runbook step 2

      Mitigation layers

      • Network / access control: Restrict cPanel (2083/2082) and WHM (2087/2086) to known networks or VPN wherever your business model allows. On shared hosting, at minimum enable geo and reputation filtering in CSF/cPHulk.
      • Upstream WAF / reverse proxy: Block or alert on cpanel_jsonapi_func=redisAble in the query string or POST body. On-host Apache ModSecurity does not inspect the cPanel service (cpsrvd), so the rule must live on a perimeter WAF or proxy.
      • IAM / account hygiene: Suspend dormant, test and unneeded reseller accounts. Enforce 2FA for cPanel users and tighten cPHulk thresholds against credential stuffing. Every compromised customer account is a direct route to root here.
      • Feature reduction: If LiteSpeed Redis caching is not in use, disable it server-wide. Expose only the cPanel plugins customers actually need via the Feature Manager.
      • Host hardening: Enable file integrity monitoring (AIDE, Tripwire or EDR FIM) on /etc/cron*, /var/spool/cron/root, /root/.ssh/, /etc/sudoers* and SUID binaries to catch post-escalation persistence.

    3. Runbook step 3

      Detection rules

      • cPanel access log: Look for cpanel_jsonapi_func=redisAble in /usr/local/cpanel/logs/access_log. SPL: index=cpanel source="*/cpanel/logs/access_log" "cpanel_jsonapi_func=redisAble" | stats count values(user) by clientip. Treat any hit from a non-customer IP as an incident.
      • auditd – root exec from a user context: -a always,exit -F arch=b64 -S execve -F euid=0 -F auid>=1000 -F auid!=4294967295 -k cpanel_root_exec. Alert when the parent chain includes cpsrvd/cpanel or the LiteSpeed plugin and it spawns shells (bash, sh), curl, wget, python or perl.
      • EDR process ancestry: Sigma shape ParentImage|contains: 'cpanel' AND User: root AND Image|endswith: ['/bash','/sh','/curl','/wget','/nc'], where the session originates from an unprivileged cPanel account.
      • Persistence indicators: New or modified entries in /var/spool/cron/root or /root/.ssh/authorized_keys, new UID-0 accounts in /etc/passwd, and freshly created SUID files (find / -perm -4000 -newer /etc/hostname).
      • Network telemetry (Zeek/Suricata): Unexpected outbound connections from the cPanel host shortly after redisAble requests (reverse shells, payload downloads), especially to VPS or hosting ranges with no business relationship.

    Detection rules

    No NEOSEC detection rule is available for this vulnerability yet.

    Classification under NIS2 and CRA

    Rule-based classification from exploitation status and severity. It does not replace a case-by-case assessment.

    NIS2

    NIS2 is EU Directive (EU) 2022/2555 to raise the level of cybersecurity across the Union. It substantially broadens obligations compared with the first NIS directive: more sectors, mandatory risk management, staged reporting duties and personal accountability of senior management.

    Read in glossary
    Actively exploited: treat the vulnerability as a priority in vulnerability handling under Art. 21(2)(e) NIS2. If it is exploited in your environment, check the reporting obligation under Art. 23 (early warning within 24 hours).
    CRA

    The CRA is EU Regulation (EU) 2024/2847 setting horizontal cybersecurity requirements for „products with digital elements“ — from industrial controllers and software to connected consumer devices. For the first time manufacturers must ensure security across the entire product lifecycle, handle vulnerabilities and provide security updates.

    Read in glossary
    Since 11.09.2026, manufacturers of affected products with digital elements must report actively exploited vulnerabilities under Art. 14 CRA, with an early warning within 24 hours via ENISA's single reporting platform.
    ISO/IEC 27001

    ISO/IEC 27001 is the internationally leading standard for an information security management system (ISMS). It describes a risk-based, process-oriented framework to systematically plan, implement, review and improve information security.

    Read in glossary
    Control A.8.8, management of technical vulnerabilities: assess relevance to your systems, plan remediation and keep evidence.

    Description

    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.

    Source: cvelistv5, NVD (NIST), CISA KEV Catalog, ENISA EUVD, CVE.org (MITRE), CSA/SingCERT

    Affected products

    The following versions are affected. Older releases of the same product line are also vulnerable unless stated otherwise.

    Affected products
    Affected versionsFixed in
    LiteSpeed TechnologiescPanel Plugin
    • 2.3 – < 2.4.7
    • 2.4.7
    LiteSpeed TechnologiesWHM Plugin
    • < 5.3.1.0
    • 5.3.1.0
    litespeedtechlitespeed_cpanel_plugin
    • < 2.4.7
    • 2.4.7
    litespeedtechlitespeed_whm_plugin
    • < 5.3.1.0
    • 5.3.1.0

    Vendors and products

    Weakness classes (CWE)

    • CWE-266Incorrect Privilege Assignment

      Base

      A product incorrectly assigns a privilege to a particular actor, creating an unintended sphere of control for that actor.

      Entry at MITRE CWE-266

    Public exploit references

    Publicly reported proof-of-concepts, exploit modules and detection templates for this vulnerability. NEOSEC links to the original sources only and does not provide any exploit code.

    Public exploit references
    CISA KEV CatalogCISA Known Exploited Vulnerability (opens in a new tab)cisa.govactively exploited
    CSA/SingCERTCritical Vulnerability in LiteSpeed User-End cPanel Plugin (opens in a new tab)CSA/SingCERTactively exploited
    PoC-in-GitHub (nomi-sec)CVE-2026-48172---LiteSpeed-cPanel-Plugin-Version-Auditor (opens in a new tab)github.comPoC (publicly reported)reported, not verified
    PoC-in-GitHub (nomi-sec)CVE-2026-48172 (opens in a new tab)github.comPoC (publicly reported)reported, not verified
    PoC-in-GitHub (nomi-sec)CVE-2026-48172 (opens in a new tab)github.comPoC (publicly reported)reported, not verified

    References & sources

    • litespeedtech.comproducts/litespeed-web-server/control-panel-support/cpaneleuvd
    • litespeedtech.comproducts/litespeed-web-server/control-panel-support/release-logeuvd
    • blog.litespeedtech.com2026/05/21/security-update-for-litespeed-cpanel-plugineuvd
    • cisa.govknown-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2026-48172government-resource

    Changes to this CVE

    Who changed this CVE and when: NVD (analysis, affected products, CVSS), the CVE publisher (CNA) and additional providers such as CISA (ADP).

    1. Record modifiedMITRE

      Show 9 original changes
      Individual changes of this event as published by NVD
      TypeActionBeforeAfter
      Referenceadded
      —
      https://blog.litespeedtech.com/2026/05/21/security-update-for-litespeed-cpanel-plugin/
      Referenceadded
      —
      https://www.litespeedtech.com/products/litespeed-web-server/control-panel-support/cpanel
      Referenceadded
      —
      https://www.litespeedtech.com/products/litespeed-web-server/control-panel-support/release-log
      Referenceremoved
      https://blog.litespeedtech.com/2026/05/21/security-update-for-litespeed-cpanel-plugin/
      —
      Referenceremoved
      https://www.litespeedtech.com/products/litespeed-web-server/control-panel-support/cpanel
      —
      Referenceremoved
      https://www.litespeedtech.com/products/litespeed-web-server/control-panel-support/release-log
      —
      Reference typeremoved
      https://blog.litespeedtech.com/2026/05/21/security-update-for-litespeed-cpanel-plugin/ Types: Vendor Advisory
      —
      Reference typeremoved
      https://www.litespeedtech.com/products/litespeed-web-server/control-panel-support/cpanel Types: Product
      —
      Reference typeremoved
      https://www.litespeedtech.com/products/litespeed-web-server/control-panel-support/release-log Types: Release Notes
      —

      Source identifier: cve@mitre.org

    2. Record modifiedCISA ADP

      CISA assessment (SSVC): exploitation: active, automatable: yes

      Show 5 original changes
      Individual changes of this event as published by NVD
      TypeActionBeforeAfter
      Referenceadded
      —
      https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2026-48172
      Referenceremoved
      https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2026-48172
      —
      Reference typeremoved
      https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2026-48172 Types: US Government Resource
      —
      SSVC assessmentremoved
      {"id":"CVE-2026-48172","role":"CISA Coordinator","options":[{"exploitation":"active"},{"automatable":"yes"},{"technicalImpact":"total"}],"version":"2.0.3","timestamp":"2026-05-21T00:00:00+00:00"}
      —
      SSVC assessmentadded
      —
      {"id":"CVE-2026-48172","role":"CISA Coordinator","options":[{"exploitation":"active"},{"automatable":"yes"},{"technicalImpact":"total"}],"version":"2.0.3","timestamp":"2026-05-27T03:55:25.936300Z"}

      Source identifier: 134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0

    Linked advisories

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