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Emlog EUVDEUVD-2026-58742

| CVE-2026-73849 CRITICAL
Missing Authentication for Critical Function (CWE-306)
2026-08-14 GitHub_M
9.8
CVSS 3.1 · Vendor: GitHub_M
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Attack ChainAIDerived

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

  1. Access
    Identify internet-facing Emlog site
  2. Delivery
    POST install.php with action=reinstall
  3. Exploit
    Bypass already-installed guard
  4. Execution
    Overwrite config.php with attacker DB settings
  5. Persist
    Create attacker admin account
  6. Impact
    Full site takeover

Vulnerability Assessment

Weakness
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A07:2025 - Authentication Failures
ASVS 5.0
V6 - Authentication Authentication required for critical functions
MITRE ATT&CK

1 technique across 1 tactic: Initial Access

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

Exploitation Conditions

The exploit requires that install.php remains present and web-accessible on a running Emlog 2.6.26-or-earlier instance (the default state after installation, since the file is not removed) and that the attacker sends action=reinstall in the request, which triggers the flawed guard that runs the installed-check only when the action is not 'reinstall'. The attacker must supply valid-format hostname, dbuser, dbpasswd, dbname, dbprefix, username, password, and email values. No authentication, no user interaction, and no non-default configuration are needed (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N). The main limiting factor is deployment hygiene: environments that have deleted or access-restricted install.php, or that firewall the setup path, are not exploitable.

Impact

The signals are strongly aligned toward high real-world risk: the CVSS 3.1 vector (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N) describes network-reachable, low-complexity, unauthenticated exploitation with High impact across confidentiality, integrity, and availability, and the described mechanics - an unauthenticated POST that rewrites config.php and creates an admin - are consistent with that 9.8 rating rather than an inflated score. Key caveats: there is no EPSS value, no KEV listing, and no POC referenced in the provided data, so exploitation is not confirmed as active or automated in the wild, and no SSVC decision data was supplied. The absence of a fixed version raises priority because there is no clean remediation path. Net assessment: this is a genuine high-priority issue on exposed Emlog instances, tempered only by the product's limited deployment footprint and the lack of confirmed active exploitation.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

An attacker scans for internet-facing Emlog sites and sends a single crafted HTTP POST to install.php with action=reinstall and their own database and administrator parameters. The installer skips the already-installed check, overwrites config.php with the attacker's database settings, and creates an attacker-controlled admin account, handing over full control of the site with no authentication or user interaction required. No public exploit is referenced, but the low complexity makes reliable exploitation straightforward.

Act Now Prioritize within 24-48h. Why: CRITICAL severity.
No patch listed yet 0.5% exploitation probability (EPSS)

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AnalysisAIv1 – Aug 14, 2026

Authentication bypass and re-installation abuse in Emlog 2.6.26 and earlier lets a remote unauthenticated attacker POST to install.php with action=reinstall, which deliberately skips the already-installed guard because that check only runs when the action is not 'reinstall'. By supplying attacker-chosen database and admin credentials, the attacker overwrites config.php via file_put_contents and provisions a new administrator account, achieving full takeover of an already-live site. No public exploit has been identified at time of analysis and no vendor-released patch is available, though the flaw is trivially reachable against default installations.

RemediationAI

No vendor-released patch identified at time of analysis, so the primary control is to make install.php unreachable: delete or rename install.php on production deployments after setup, or block/deny web access to it at the web server (e.g. a location/rewrite rule returning 403 for install.php), accepting that legitimate future re-installs would then require restoring the file. As a stronger compensating control, restrict access to the entire admin/setup surface by IP allowlist or place the site behind authentication at the reverse proxy, and monitor for POST requests carrying action=reinstall as an exploitation indicator. Because config.php can be overwritten, also protect and back up config.php and monitor its integrity. Track the vendor advisory GHSA-v5qq-p8mp-3gxm (https://github.com/emlog/emlog/security/advisories/GHSA-v5qq-p8mp-3gxm) for an official fixed release and upgrade as soon as one is published.

Affected VersionsENISA

emlog ≤ 2.6.26

Affected Packages

euvd emlog no fix

Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)

Affects your stack

Affects 1 package in euvd

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

Technical ContextAI · show details

Emlog is a PHP-based open-source blogging and website building system (CPE cpe:2.3:a:emlog:emlog). The root cause maps to CWE-306 (Missing Authentication for Critical Function): install.php is a setup routine that should be inert once installation completes, but the code only enforces the 'already installed' guard when $act != 'reinstall', so passing action=reinstall bypasses that check entirely and re-enters the installer with no authentication. The installer then writes user-controlled hostname, dbuser, dbpasswd, dbname, and dbprefix into config.php through file_put_contents('config.php', $config) and seeds a fresh admin account from the supplied username, password, and email - meaning an installer meant to run once, pre-auth, remains callable for the life of the deployment.

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Severity by source

Vendor (GitHub_M) PRIMARY 9.8 CRITICAL
AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
vuln.today AI 9.8 CRITICAL

Unauthenticated network POST to install.php (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N) overwrites config.php and creates an admin, giving full data access and site control, so C/I/A all High.

3.1 AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
4.0 AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N

Primary rating from Vendor (GitHub_M).

CVSS VectorVendor: GitHub_M

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

DescriptionCVE.org

Emlog is an open source website building system. In 2.6.26 and earlier, install.php accepts action=reinstall without authentication and deliberately skips the already-installed check because the guard runs only when $act != 'reinstall'. A remote attacker can submit hostname, dbuser, dbpasswd, dbname, dbprefix, username, password, and email values to cause file_put_contents('config.php', $config) to overwrite the configuration with attacker-controlled database settings and create a new administrator account. No fixed version is available as of this review.

Executive ViewAI

Why It Matters

Emlog versions 2.6.26 and earlier contain a critical authentication bypass allowing unauthenticated remote attackers to completely take over live websites by rewriting configuration files and creating rogue administrator accounts. Any organization running affected Emlog instances faces immediate risk of unauthorized access, data exposure, and loss of operational control. This vulnerability is trivially exploitable against default installations and currently lacks a vendor-issued patch.

Business Impact: Severe
Compensating Controls

No vendor-released patch identified at time of analysis. Interim mitigations: disable or rename install.php to remove the primary attack surface; implement web application firewall rules to block POST requests to install.php; enforce network-level IP allowlisting restricting install.php access to administrative subnets only; deploy intrusion detection and alerting for suspicious requests containing action=reinstall parameters; maintain continuous monitoring of vendor security advisories for patch availability; and accelerate evaluation and testing of alternative CMS platforms to prepare for potential migration if vendor response is inadequate.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.5%
Top 60% exploitable
Prevalence
Low
niche open-source PHP blogging platform, limited enterprise footprint
Data Quality
5 sources
Confidence: Medium

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 CRITICAL
CISA KEV No
Public POC No
EPSS 0.5%
Patch available No
Active threat No
Deciding rule
CRITICAL 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· derived
Out-of-Cycle
Exploitation· derived
None
System Exposure· derived
Open
Automatable· derived
Yes
Human Impact
Very High

Priority Score

49
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: 0
CVSS: +49
PoC: 0
Weaponized: 0
Threat intel: 0
Gov advisory: 0

Attack Technique

Authentication bypass attacks exploit flaws in the verification mechanisms that control access to systems and applications.

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