CVE-2026-48172
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…
Browse: All 2026 CVEs · All vendors
- CVSS score
- 9.8 Critical
- CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H- CISA KEV
- Yes — actively exploited (added 2026-05-26, remediation due 2026-05-29)
- Weakness (CWE)
- CWE-266
- Published
- 2026-05-21
- Last modified
- 2026-07-23
- NVD status
- Analyzed
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.
Affected products
- litespeedtech litespeed cpanel plugin
- litespeedtech litespeed whm plugin
Affected ranges per NVD CPE data; confirm exact versions in the vendor advisory.
Required action (CISA)
Apply mitigations per vendor instructions, follow applicable BOD 22-01 guidance for cloud services, or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable. Federal remediation deadline: 2026-05-29.
How to prioritize this
This vulnerability is on the CISA KEV list, meaning it is being actively exploited — treat it as urgent regardless of the raw CVSS number. Use the live CVE lookup for the latest NVD data, and the CVSS 3.1 calculator to model your own environmental score.
References
- https://blog.litespeedtech.com/2026/05/21/security-update-for-litespeed-cpanel-plugin/
- https://www.litespeedtech.com/products/litespeed-web-server/control-panel-support/cpanel
- https://www.litespeedtech.com/products/litespeed-web-server/control-panel-support/release-log
- https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2026-48172
FAQ
Is CVE-2026-48172 actively exploited?
Yes. CISA added CVE-2026-48172 to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog on 2026-05-26, with a federal remediation deadline of 2026-05-29. A KEV listing means real-world exploitation is confirmed, so patching this should be prioritized above many higher-CVSS bugs that aren't being exploited.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2026-48172?
CVE-2026-48172 has a CVSS base score of 9.8 (Critical). Its vector string is CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H.
Related vulnerabilities
- CVE-2026-54420 — LiteSpeed cPanel Plugin
- CVE-2026-82078 — PaperCut NG/MF
- CVE-2026-81578 — PaperCut NG/MF
- CVE-2023-49105 — ownCloud ownCloud
- CVE-2026-53362 — Linux Kernel
- CVE-2026-66384 — JFrog Artifactory
Data source: NVD & CISA KEV. Shown as-is; nothing added. Last generated from NVD data — re-check the live tool for updates.
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