Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain
-
AccessAuthenticate with low-privilege Plesk account
-
DeliveryPlace crafted symlink in processable web directory
-
ExploitTrigger Site Import or Migrator file operation
-
ExecutionPrivileged backend follows symlink without validation
-
PersistWrite attacker content to root-owned system path
-
ImpactAchieve arbitrary code execution as root
Vulnerability Assessment
| Weakness |
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A01:2025 - Broken Access Control
ASVS 5.0
V5 - File Handling Symlink resolution safety
|
| Exploitation Conditions | The attacker must hold a valid Plesk user account with at least low-level authenticated access (PR:L per CVSS vector) - entirely unauthenticated external attackers cannot exploit this flaw. The Plesk Migrator or Plesk Site Import extension must be installed and accessible to the attacker's account; if neither extension is present, the attack surface does not exist. The attack proceeds remotely over the network (AV:N) with no victim interaction required (UI:N) and low attack complexity (AC:L), meaning no race conditions or special timing is needed. Exploitation is bounded to Plesk installations with these specific extensions enabled; a minimal Plesk deployment without them is not affected. No additional non-default configuration beyond extension installation is identified as required. |
| Impact | The CVSS 4.0 score of 8.7 with vector AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H reflects a network-accessible, low-complexity attack requiring only a low-privilege authenticated account and no user interaction - signals pointing to meaningful real-world risk. The provided vector assigns no subsequent-system impact (SC:N/SI:N/SA:N), which appears conservative given the description explicitly states execution as root; root compromise on a shared hosting server typically affects all co-tenant data and services, suggesting subsequent-system impact should be evaluated as high. No EPSS score, CISA KEV listing, or POC availability was included in the available data, so exploitation probability cannot be independently quantified. However, symlink following to root-level file access is a well-understood attack class with a straightforward exploitation path once authenticated access is obtained. Risk is highest in shared hosting environments where multiple tenants hold valid Plesk credentials and where the Migrator or Site Import extensions are routinely used during customer onboarding. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | An authenticated Plesk customer or reseller account holder plants a crafted symbolic link within a web directory or staging path that the Site Import or Migrator extension traverses during a migration job, pointing the symlink at a root-owned system file such as /etc/cron.d/backdoor or /root/.ssh/authorized_keys. When the extension executes its file operation with root privileges, it writes attacker-controlled content through the symlink to the target path, establishing persistent root-level access. No public proof-of-concept code is confirmed at time of analysis. |
Get an e-mail when this CVE is exploited, patched or re-scored. Free account.
Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – Aug 26, 2026
Remote code execution via symlink following in Plesk's Site Import and Migrator extensions allows network-accessible, low-privilege authenticated users to execute arbitrary code as root on the hosting server. Both webpros:plesk_migrator and webpros:plesk_site_import are affected across all versions per CPE wildcard data, with the flaw rooted in CWE-59 improper link resolution during privileged file operations. No public exploit or active exploitation is confirmed at time of analysis, but the low-complexity, network-accessible attack path and root-level impact make this a high-priority remediation target for Plesk hosting environments.
RemediationAI
Consult the official Plesk vendor advisory at https://support.plesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/42871001389207-Vulnerability-CVE-2026-65647-in-Plesk-s-Site-Import-and-Migrator-extensions for patched extension versions and upgrade procedures; a patch is available per the vendor advisory, but no specific fixed version number was present in the available intelligence data and cannot be independently confirmed. Where immediate patching is not feasible, administrators should disable both the Plesk Migrator and Plesk Site Import extensions via the Plesk Extensions Catalog - this eliminates the attack surface entirely at the cost of losing import and migration functionality during the remediation window. Access to Plesk user accounts should be audited and restricted to the minimum set of trusted users, as the attack requires a valid low-privilege authenticated account; revoking unnecessary reseller or customer accounts reduces the pool of potential attackers. File system integrity monitoring on sensitive system directories (e.g., /etc/cron.d/, /root/.ssh/) can help detect post-exploitation activity.
Affected VersionsENISA
Affected Packages
Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)
Affects your stack
Affects 2 packages in euvd
Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.
Technical ContextAI · show details
The vulnerability is classified as CWE-59 (Improper Link Resolution Before File Access, also known as 'Link Following'). This flaw class occurs when an application processes a user-influenced path and follows a symbolic link without first verifying that the resolved target is within an intended boundary. In Plesk's site import and migration workflows, file read and write operations involved in transferring website data are executed by the Plesk backend with elevated root privileges. An authenticated user who can place a symlink in a directory the extension will process can redirect these privileged operations to arbitrary system paths - enabling overwrite of sensitive files such as /etc/cron.d/, SSH authorized_keys, or sudoers entries, ultimately achieving persistent root-level code execution. Affected products per CPE: cpe:2.3:a:webpros:plesk_migrator:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* and cpe:2.3:a:webpros:plesk_site_import:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* (all versions, all platforms).
Know when Plesk Migrator gets its next vulnerability
- Watch products and get an email when something new is published
- Check this CVE against your own stack and servers
- Exploit and PoC references, threat intelligence from 22 sources
No credit card · 7-day full trial
Severity by source
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
Network-accessible Plesk panel (AV:N), low-privilege account required (PR:L), root execution constitutes scope change (S:C) with full host impact.
Primary rating from Vendor (hackerone).
CVSS VectorVendor: hackerone
Lifecycle Timeline
2DescriptionCVE.org
Improper symlink resolution before file access in Plesk allows remote authenticated users to execute arbitrary code as root.
Executive ViewAI
Plesk's Site Import and Migrator extensions contain a critical symlink-following vulnerability (CVE-2026-65647) that allows low-privilege authenticated users to execute arbitrary code with root privileges on hosting infrastructure. Organizations running these extensions face immediate risk of complete server compromise; the low-complexity attack path and root-level impact create a high-priority remediation target for all Plesk deployments.
No vendor-released patch identified at time of analysis. Until patch availability: (1) disable Site Import and Migrator extensions if not actively used; (2) restrict feature access to trusted administrative personnel via IP allowlisting and network segmentation; (3) enforce multi-factor authentication for all Plesk administrative accounts; (4) deploy file integrity monitoring on Plesk installation directories to detect unauthorized symlink activity; (5) implement principle of least privilege for Plesk process user accounts; (6) maintain detailed audit logs of all site import and migration operations for incident investigation.
Threat Intelligence Overview
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.
What every action level means
SSVC AssessmentENISA
Priority Score
Attack Technique
Remote Code Execution represents the critical moment when an attacker successfully runs arbitrary code on a target system without physical access.
EUVD-2026-66761
GHSA-6rh7-pjg5-mhwh
NVD
CVE.org
EPSS
Vulnrichment
Exploit-DB