# CVE-2026-18412: OpenCart path traversal in extension installer

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-18412-opencart-path-traversal-in-extension-installer  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-08-10. Updated: 2026-09-25  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2026-18412 · Severity: critical · CVSS 9.1 · Published 2026-08-10

OpenCart is an open-source e-commerce platform used to build and manage online stores. The extension installer fails to validate file paths when extracting uploaded extensions, allowing an attacker with admin credentials to upload a malicious extension containing traversal sequences (../) and write files such as PHP web shells to the server's web directory. This enables remote code execution with the privileges of the OpenCart application.

Technologies: [OpenCart](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/opencart). Vendors: [OpenCart](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/opencart).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2026-18412 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-18412 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2026-18412?** Critical severity, with a CVSS score of 9.1, published 10 August 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** OpenCart 4.2.0.0 and possibly other 4.x versions.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2026-18412?** No fixed version is recorded yet. Check the vendor's advisory in the references below. If you run it, Junglewise drafts a mitigation that fits your setup and applies it once you approve, with senior security engineers behind it.

**How is CVE-2026-18412 attacked?** It is attacked over the network, in a web application.

**Am I affected by CVE-2026-18412?** Check whether you run OpenCart at an affected version. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

## Technical details

The vulnerability is a path traversal flaw (CWE-22) in OpenCart v4.2.0.0's extension installer. When users upload extensions as .ocmod.zip files, the installer extracts the archive but does not validate that extracted file paths remain within the intended extraction directory. An attacker can craft a malicious .ocmod.zip extension containing path traversal sequences (e.g., ../../shell.php) to write arbitrary files into the webroot. The attack requires valid administrator credentials to access the extension installation interface. Successful exploitation enables arbitrary file upload and remote code execution (RCE) with the same privileges as the OpenCart process. At the time of disclosure, no patch was available and the vendor could not be reached for coordination.

## Affected products

- OpenCart OpenCart 4.2.0.0 and possibly other 4.x versions

## Timeline

- 2026-08-10: disclosed
- 2026-08-10: advisory: CERT/CC VU#614868 published

## References

- [https://kb.cert.org/vuls/id/614868](https://kb.cert.org/vuls/id/614868)
- [https://www.kb.cert.org/vuls/id/614868](https://www.kb.cert.org/vuls/id/614868)

## Related threats

- [OpenCart stored XSS in customer profile fields](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-84438-opencart-stored-xss-in-customer-profile-fields)
- [OpenCart stored cross-site scripting in customer address](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-84437-opencart-stored-cross-site-scripting-in-customer-address)
- [Soft-Php jCart for OpenCart SQL injection in product_id](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2017-20282-soft-php-jcart-for-opencart-sql-injection-in-product-id)
- [softPHP jCart for OpenCart CSRF in account management endpoints](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2018-25336-softphp-jcart-for-opencart-csrf-in-account-management-endpoints)
- [OpenCart CSRF password change in account/password endpoint](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2021-47953-opencart-csrf-password-change-in-account-password-endpoint)