# CVE-2026-72557: Cockpit CMS unrestricted file upload vulnerability

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-72557-cockpit-cms-unrestricted-file-upload-vulnerability  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-08-11. Updated: 2026-09-25  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2026-72557 · Severity: high · CVSS 8.8 · Published 2026-08-11

Cockpit CMS is a content management platform used to manage website assets and content. A vulnerability in version 2.6.0 allows any authenticated user to upload files of any type, including executable PHP scripts, to a web-accessible location. An attacker with valid login credentials can exploit this to upload a malicious script and execute arbitrary commands on the server, potentially leading to complete system compromise.

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2026-72557 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-72557 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2026-72557?** High severity, with a CVSS score of 8.8, published 11 August 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** Cockpit-HQ Cockpit 2.6.0.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2026-72557?** 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-2026-72557 attacked?** It is attacked over the network.

**Am I affected by CVE-2026-72557?** 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

This is an unrestricted file upload vulnerability in the asset upload endpoint of Cockpit CMS 2.6.0. The root cause is that the allowed_uploads configuration defaults to a wildcard (*) with no validation of file extensions or MIME types, and uploaded files are stored in a publicly accessible directory. An authenticated attacker can upload a PHP webshell via the asset upload mechanism and then access it through the web server to execute arbitrary OS commands. Authentication is required to exploit this vulnerability; however, this includes any authenticated user account, not just administrative accounts. Patches or version updates to restrict file uploads should be applied.

## Affected products

- Cockpit-HQ Cockpit 2.6.0

## Timeline

- 2026-08-11: disclosed

## References

- [https://github.com/Cockpit-HQ/Cockpit](https://github.com/Cockpit-HQ/Cockpit)