CVE-2026-54593: Pterodactyl Panel and Wings privilege escalation via JWT scope reuse

CVE-2026-54593 · Severity: high · CVSS 8.1 · Published 2026-07-28

Pterodactyl is an open-source management platform used to run and control game servers. A security flaw in how the system validates digital access keys allows users with very limited permissions (such as just viewing a server console) to bypass restrictions and upload unauthorized files to the server. This could allow a malicious user to modify server configurations or disrupt operations, though it requires the attacker to already have at least basic subuser access to the specific server.

Technologies: github.com/pterodactyl/wings (Go), pterodactyl/panel (Packagist), Pterodactyl Panel, Pterodactyl Wings. Vendors: Go, Packagist, Pterodactyl.

Quick answers

Is CVE-2026-54593 exploited in the wild?
No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-54593 being exploited in the wild.
How severe is CVE-2026-54593?
High severity, with a CVSS score of 8.1, published 28 July 2026.
Which products and versions are affected?
github.com/pterodactyl/wings (Go) < 1.12.2, SEMVER:introduced=0,fixed=1.12.2; pterodactyl/panel (Packagist) < 1.12.3, ECOSYSTEM:introduced=0,fixed=1.12.3; Pterodactyl Panel < 1.12.3; Pterodactyl Wings < 1.12.2.
Is there a fix for CVE-2026-54593?
Yes. github.com/pterodactyl/wings (Go): upgrade to 1.12.2 or later; pterodactyl/panel (Packagist): upgrade to 1.12.3 or later. Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.
How is CVE-2026-54593 attacked?
It is attacked over the network, in a network appliance.
Am I affected by CVE-2026-54593?
Check whether you run github.com/pterodactyl/wings (Go), pterodactyl/panel (Packagist), Pterodactyl Panel or one of the others listed 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

  • github.com/pterodactyl/wings (Go): upgrade to 1.12.2 or later
    go get github.com/pterodactyl/wings@v1.12.2
  • pterodactyl/panel (Packagist): upgrade to 1.12.3 or later
    composer require pterodactyl/panel:^1.12.3

Technical details

A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the Pterodactyl Wings '/upload/file' endpoint due to insufficient validation of panel-signed JSON Web Tokens (JWTs). The endpoint accepted any valid JWT containing 'server_uuid', 'user_uuid', and 'unique_id' claims without verifying the token's intended purpose (scope). Because the Panel issues JWTs with identical claims for low-privilege tasks like WebSocket console connections or file downloads, an authenticated subuser can capture a low-privilege token and replay it against the upload endpoint to bypass 'file.create' permission requirements. This allows arbitrary file writes within the server's directory. The fix introduces mandatory 'JwtScope' claims to ensure tokens are only used for their designated actions.

Affected products

  • Pterodactyl Panel < 1.12.3
  • Pterodactyl Wings < 1.12.2

Identifiers

  • CVE-2026-54593
  • GHSA-8r6w-3qq5-4p4r
  • GO-2026-6120

Timeline

  • 2026-05-23: patched: Fixes committed to Panel and Wings repositories.
  • 2026-06-06: advisory: GitHub Security Advisory GHSA-8r6w-3qq5-4p4r published.
  • 2026-07-28: disclosed: CVE-2026-54593 published to NVD.

References

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