CVE-2026-54540: Pheditor OS command injection via terminal whitelist bypass

CVE-2026-54540 · Severity: high · CVSS 8.8 · Published 2026-07-27

Pheditor is a web-based file manager and code editor. A security flaw in its terminal feature allows an authorized user to bypass command restrictions and run unauthorized commands on the underlying server. This could lead to a complete takeover of the web server, unauthorized access to sensitive files, or disruption of services.

Technologies: pheditor/pheditor (Packagist), Pheditor. Vendors: Packagist, Pheditor.

Quick answers

Is CVE-2026-54540 exploited in the wild?
No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-54540 being exploited in the wild.
How severe is CVE-2026-54540?
High severity, with a CVSS score of 8.8, published 27 July 2026.
Which products and versions are affected?
pheditor/pheditor (Packagist) <= 2.0.4, ECOSYSTEM:introduced=0,fixed=2.0.5; Pheditor < 2.0.5, <= 2.0.4.
Is there a fix for CVE-2026-54540?
Yes. pheditor/pheditor (Packagist): upgrade to 2.0.5 or later. Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.
How is CVE-2026-54540 attacked?
It is attacked over the network, in a web application.
Am I affected by CVE-2026-54540?
Check whether you run pheditor/pheditor (Packagist) or Pheditor 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.

How to fix

  • pheditor/pheditor (Packagist): upgrade to 2.0.5 or later
    composer require pheditor/pheditor:^2.0.5

Technical details

Pheditor's terminal feature implements a command allowlist by checking if a user-provided string starts with a permitted command (e.g., 'ls'). However, the application fails to sanitize shell metacharacters used for command substitution, such as '$()'. Because the entire unsanitized string is subsequently passed to the PHP 'shell_exec()' function, an authenticated attacker with terminal permissions can append malicious commands (e.g., 'ls$(whoami)') to a permitted prefix. This results in arbitrary command execution with the privileges of the web server user. The issue is fixed in version 2.0.5 by improving validation of shell metacharacters.

Affected products

  • pheditor Pheditor < 2.0.5

Identifiers

  • CVE-2026-54540
  • GHSA-9643-6xjp-vx57

Timeline

  • 2026-06-05: patched: Version 2.0.5 released to address the vulnerability.
  • 2026-07-27: advisory: CVE-2026-54540 published.

References

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