Plesk: Untrusted Search Path
CVE-2026-68492 is a high-severity untrusted search path vulnerability in Plesk from WebPros, with a CVSS 4.0 base score of 8.7 out of 10. It can be exploited remotely over the network by an attacker with a low-privileged account, without any action from a user. The record lists versions 18.0.80.8, 18.0.81.1 as the first without the flaw, so updating Plesk to one of those releases or later removes the exposure. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.65% chance of exploitation within 30 days, higher than 52% of scored CVEs.
High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.
What to do
- Update Plesk to 18.0.80.8 or 18.0.81.1, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
- Update Plesk extension "Plesk RESTful API" to 2.4.7 or a later version.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| WebPros | Plesk | 18.0.34 up to, but not including, 18.0.80.8; 18.0.81 up to, but not including, 18.0.81.1 | 18.0.80.8, 18.0.81.1 |
| WebPros | Plesk extension "Plesk RESTful API" | 2.4.2 up to, but not including, 2.4.7 | 2.4.7 |
Version data comes from the organisation that assigned the CVE. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.
How the severity score breaks down
- Attack vector
- NetworkCan be exploited remotely over a network, including the internet.
- Attack complexity
- LowNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
- Attack requirements
- NoneThe attack does not depend on a particular deployment or configuration.
- Privileges required
- LowA basic user account is enough.
- User interaction
- NoneNo action by a victim is required.
- Confidentiality (vulnerable system)
- HighSerious loss of confidentiality on the vulnerable system.
- Integrity (vulnerable system)
- HighSerious loss of integrity on the vulnerable system.
- Availability (vulnerable system)
- HighSerious loss of availability on the vulnerable system.
- Confidentiality (other systems)
- NoneNo loss of confidentiality on systems beyond the vulnerable one.
- Integrity (other systems)
- NoneNo loss of integrity on systems beyond the vulnerable one.
- Availability (other systems)
- NoneNo loss of availability on systems beyond the vulnerable one.
Vector: CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X. Scored by CNA (hackerone.com).
Official description
An untrusted search path vulnerability in Plesk from 18.0.34 before 18.0.80.8 and 18.0.81 before 18.0.81.1 allows remote authenticated users to execute arbitrary code as root via the "Plesk RESTful API" extension from 2.4.2 before 2.4.7.
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
The underlying weakness: Untrusted Search Path
The product searches for critical resources using an externally-supplied search path that can point to resources that are not under the product's direct control.
How developers prevent this class of flaw
- Hard-code the search path to a set of known-safe values (such as system directories), or only allow them to be specified by the administrator in a configuration file. Do not allow these settings to be modified by an external party. Be careful to avoid related weaknesses such as CWE-426 and CWE-428.
- When invoking other programs, specify those programs using fully-qualified pathnames. While this is an effective approach, code that uses fully-qualified pathnames might not be portable to other systems that do not use the same pathnames. The portability can be improved by locating the full-qualified paths in a centralized, easily-modifiable location within the source code, and having the code refer to these paths.
- Remove or restrict all environment settings before invoking other programs. This includes the PATH environment variable, LD_LIBRARY_PATH, and other settings that identify the location of code libraries, and any application-specific search paths.
Timeline
- CVE record published.
- CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: no, technical impact: total).
- Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).
References
Other references
Other vulnerabilities in Plesk
- 8.4 High severity
- 9.9 Critical severity
- 9.0 Critical severity
- 9.9 Critical severity
- 8.6 High severity
- 9.3 Critical severity
Recent Untrusted Search Path vulnerabilities
- 7.0 High severity
- 8.5 High severity
- 8.4 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 9.4 Critical severity
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