# CVE-2026-38429: Alkacon OpenCMS XXE in Admin Import DB feature

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-38429-alkacon-opencms-xxe-in-admin-import-db-feature  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-05-05. Updated: 2026-07-25  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2026-38429 · Severity: critical · CVSS 9.8 · Published 2026-05-05

OpenCMS, a popular open-source content management system, contains a critical security flaw in its database import tool. An attacker can exploit this by uploading a specially crafted ZIP file, allowing them to potentially steal sensitive files from the server or disrupt operations. This could lead to a full compromise of the website's data and underlying infrastructure.

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2026-38429 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-38429 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2026-38429?** Critical severity, with a CVSS score of 9.8, published 5 May 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** Alkacon Software OpenCMS v20 and earlier.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2026-38429?** 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-2026-38429 attacked?** It is attacked over the network, in a network appliance.

**Am I affected by CVE-2026-38429?** Check whether anything you run is named in the advisory. 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

OpenCMS v20 and prior versions are vulnerable to an XML External Entity (XXE) injection (CWE-611) within the Admin Import DB functionality. The vulnerability exists because the application's XML parser does not securely handle external entity references when processing the 'manifest.xml' file contained within a user-uploaded .zip archive. A remote, unauthenticated attacker can exploit this by submitting a malicious ZIP file to the import interface. Successful exploitation can lead to arbitrary file disclosure (OOB-XXE), server-side request forgery (SSRF), or denial-of-service. A patch has been identified in the alkacon/opencms-core repository (commit e3e41e5).

## Affected products

- Alkacon Software OpenCMS v20 and earlier

## Timeline

- 2026-05-05: disclosed
- 2026-05-05: advisory: NVD publication date

## References

- [https://github.com/alkacon/opencms-core/commit/e3e41e5a96d71383279e7d23c627efc9934008c1](https://github.com/alkacon/opencms-core/commit/e3e41e5a96d71383279e7d23c627efc9934008c1)