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Control Web Panel EUVDEUVD-2025-209736

| CVE-2025-67888 HIGH
OS Command Injection (CWE-78)
2026-05-08 mitre GHSA-6q25-xprm-2cg4
7.3
CVSS 3.1 · NVD
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Attack ChainAIDerived

Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain

  1. Access
    Identify CWP with Softaculous/SitePad
  2. Delivery
    Craft malicious GET to /admin/index.php
  3. Exploit
    Inject commands via 'key' parameter
  4. Execution
    Execute as root
  5. Impact
    Establish persistence

Vulnerability Assessment

Weakness
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A05:2025 - Injection
ASVS 5.0
V1 - Encoding and Sanitization OS command sanitization, avoid shell exec
MITRE ATT&CK

2 techniques across 1 tactic: Execution

The technique list with ATT&CK links and the kill-chain view is part of the Basic plan and up.

Exploitation Conditions

Remote unauthenticated exploitation against Control Web Panel installations that have either Softaculous auto-installer or SitePad website builder components installed and enabled. The vulnerable /admin/index.php API endpoint with 'api' parameter handling is only present or accessible when these optional extensions are active. Default CWP installations without Softaculous or SitePad are not vulnerable. No authentication, user interaction, or non-default configuration beyond the presence of these specific extensions is required. Attack succeeds against internet-exposed CWP admin panels (default ports 2030 HTTP, 2031 HTTPS) without IP whitelisting or additional access controls.

Impact

CVSS 7.3 (High) with vector AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N indicates remote unauthenticated exploitation with low complexity, but impact scores of L/L/L across confidentiality, integrity, and availability appear inconsistent with root command execution capability described in the CVE. The CVSS scoring likely underestimates real-world impact - root RCE typically warrants High impact ratings. EPSS 6.16% at 91st percentile indicates elevated exploitation probability relative to other CVEs, suggesting active reconnaissance or limited exploitation. Public exploit code exists (KIS-2025-09 advisory and FullDisclosure posting), dramatically lowering exploitation barrier. However, the requirement for Softaculous or SitePad installation significantly reduces the vulnerable population - not all CWP deployments include these optional components. SSVC factors: exploitation is Public (POC available), likely Automatable (simple GET request), Technical Impact is Total (root access), but Attack Surface is Partial (conditional on optional components). Priority depends on whether targeted environments use Softaculous/SitePad. No CISA KEV listing suggests exploitation remains targeted rather than widespread, but the 91st percentile EPSS score and public POC warrant urgent patching for affected installations.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

An unauthenticated attacker identifies a CWP installation with Softaculous or SitePad enabled through reconnaissance of open ports (2030/2031) or HTTP headers. The attacker crafts a malicious GET request to /admin/index.php with 'api' parameter set and injects OS commands into the 'key' parameter using shell metacharacters (semicolons, pipes, backticks). The unsanitized input executes as root, allowing the attacker to create backdoor accounts, install cryptominers, exfiltrate hosting customer data, or pivot to other infrastructure. Public exploit code from Karma Insecurity (KIS-2025-09) provides ready-made payloads, enabling even low-skilled attackers to compromise vulnerable systems.

Act Now Prioritize within 24-48h. Why: Active threat signals + CRITICAL/HIGH severity.
No patch listed yet 6.2% exploitation probability (EPSS)

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AnalysisAIv1 – May 08, 2026

Remote command injection in Control Web Panel allows unauthenticated attackers to execute arbitrary OS commands as root through unsanitized GET parameter. Exploitation requires Softaculous or SitePad components to be installed. Despite critical impact (root RCE), EPSS score of 6.16% (91st percentile) suggests selective targeting rather than mass exploitation, though technical barrier is low (AC:L). Public exploit code exists via Karma Insecurity disclosure and FullDisclosure mailing list, significantly increasing attack surface.

RemediationAI

Upgrade Control Web Panel to version 0.9.8.1209 or later immediately per vendor security instructions at https://wiki.centos-webpanel.com/cwp-security-instructions. For environments unable to patch immediately, disable or remove Softaculous and SitePad extensions to eliminate the attack surface, though this removes functionality customers may depend on for application installation and website building. Implement web application firewall (WAF) rules to block requests to /admin/index.php with 'api' and 'key' parameters from untrusted sources, but note that WAF bypass techniques exist for command injection. Restrict network access to CWP admin panel (typically port 2030/2031) to trusted IP addresses via firewall rules - this provides defense-in-depth but reduces remote management capability. Monitor system logs for unexpected command execution originating from web server processes and review audit logs for suspicious API calls with command injection patterns in GET parameters.

Affected VersionsENISA

n/a n/a

Affects your stack

Find out whether the stacks and servers you run are on an affected version.

Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.

Technical ContextAI · show details

Control Web Panel (CWP) is a web hosting control panel for Linux servers. The vulnerability stems from CWE-78 (OS Command Injection) in the admin API endpoint at /admin/index.php. When the 'api' parameter is set, user-supplied input from the 'key' GET parameter is passed directly to OS command execution functions without sanitization or validation. The application runs with elevated privileges, causing injected commands to execute with root permissions. The attack surface is conditional on the presence of Softaculous (auto-installer for web applications) or SitePad (website builder) extensions, which are optional CWP components that expose or enable the vulnerable API endpoint. This is a classic untrusted input validation failure in a privileged web application context.

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  • Exploit and PoC references, threat intelligence from 22 sources

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Severity by source

NVD PRIMARY 7.3 HIGH
AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L

Primary rating from NVD · only source for this CVE.

CVSS VectorNVD

Attack Vector
Network
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
None
User Interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
Low
Integrity
Low
Availability
Low

Lifecycle Timeline

3
CVSS changed
May 08, 2026 - 15:22 NVD
7.3 (HIGH)
CVE Published
May 08, 2026 - 00:00 nvd
UNKNOWN (no severity yet)
CVE Published
May 08, 2026 - 00:00 nvd
HIGH 7.3

DescriptionCVE.org

An issue was discovered in Control Web Panel (CWP) before 0.9.8.1209. User input passed via the "key" GET parameter to /admin/index.php (when the "api" parameter is set) is not properly sanitized before being used to execute OS commands. This can be exploited by unauthenticated attackers to inject and execute arbitrary OS commands with the privileges of root on the web server. Softaculous or SitePad must be present.

Executive ViewAI

Why It Matters

CVE-2025-67888 is a remote command injection vulnerability in Control Web Panel that allows unauthenticated attackers to execute arbitrary commands as root if Softaculous or SitePad components are installed. This poses immediate risk to any organization using affected Control Web Panel installations, as exploit code is publicly available and no vendor patch currently exists, leaving vulnerable systems exposed to complete compromise.

Business Impact: Severe
Compensating Controls

No vendor-released patch identified at time of analysis. Interim mitigations: (1) Disable or uninstall Softaculous and SitePad components immediately if not operationally required; (2) Implement strict network segmentation and restrict administrative panel access to whitelisted IP addresses only; (3) Deploy WAF rules targeting common command injection syntax in GET parameters; (4) Enable comprehensive logging and real-time monitoring of Control Web Panel access and command execution; (5) Implement rate limiting on administrative endpoints; (6) Run affected systems under least-privilege user context rather than root if architectural changes permit.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
6.2%
Top 9% exploitable
Exploit
POC
Public exploit code exists
Data Quality
6 sources
Confidence: High

How this decision was reached

The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.

SignalValue
Severity HIGH
CISA KEV No
Public POC Yes
EPSS 6.2%
Patch available No
Active threat Yes
Deciding rule
Active threat signals + CRITICAL/HIGH severity
What every action level means
Emergency Immediate action required. Criteria: CRITICAL + in CISA KEV (actively exploited) without patch, OR CRITICAL + EPSS > 30% without patch, OR CRITICAL + active threat signals without patch.
Act Now Prioritize within 24-48h. Criteria: in KEV with patch available, OR CRITICAL + public POC, OR HIGH + EPSS > 10%, OR CRITICAL + active threat, OR any CRITICAL severity.
This Week Schedule remediation this week. Criteria: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9). Patch within normal change window.
This Month Plan within 30 days. Criteria: MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9), lower exploitation probability. Include in regular patch cycle.
Monitor Track and reassess. Criteria: LOW severity (CVSS 0.1-3.9), minimal exploitation risk. No immediate action needed.

SSVC AssessmentENISA

SSVC Decision
Out-of-Cycle
Exploitation
Poc
System Exposure· derived
Open
Automatable
Yes
Human Impact
Very High
Technical Impact
Partial

Priority Score

77
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: +6
CVSS: +36
PoC: +20
Weaponized: +15
Threat intel: 0
Gov advisory: 0

Attack Technique

OS command injection occurs when an application passes unsanitized user input directly into system shell commands.

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