VulnerabilityPublished 21 Mar 2026Updated 23 Mar 2026

CVE-2026-4514: PbootCMS · Improper Access Controls

Affects PbootCMSSource CVE Database V5

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Public exploit available · CVSS 5.3 Medium.

Data as of 1 Nov 2026, 22:58 UTC

CVSS 4.0 base score

5.3Medium

How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.

EPSS: 0.2% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 11% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.

CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:L/VI:L/VA:L/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:P

Base metrics

Attack Vector: Network
Attack Complexity: Low
Attack Requirements: None
Privileges Required: Low
User Interaction: None
Vulnerable system confidentiality: Low
Vulnerable system integrity: Low
Vulnerable system availability: Low
Subsequent system confidentiality: None
Subsequent system integrity: None
Subsequent system availability: None

Threat metrics

Exploit Maturity: POC

Bold values are the worst case: easiest to exploit or largest impact.

Attack Vector: Network: The vulnerable system is bound to the network stack and the set of possible attackers extends beyond the other options listed below, up to and including the entire Internet. Such a vulnerability is often termed “remotely exploitable” and can be thought of as an attack being exploitable at the protocol level one or more network hops away (e.g., across one or more routers).
Attack Complexity: Low: The attacker must take no measurable action to exploit the vulnerability. The attack requires no target-specific circumvention to exploit the vulnerability. An attacker can expect repeatable success against the vulnerable system.
Attack Requirements: None: The successful attack does not depend on the deployment and execution conditions of the vulnerable system. The attacker can expect to be able to reach the vulnerability and execute the exploit under all or most instances of the vulnerability.
Privileges Required: Low: The attacker requires privileges that provide basic capabilities that are typically limited to settings and resources owned by a single low-privileged user. Alternatively, an attacker with Low privileges has the ability to access only non-sensitive resources.
User Interaction: None: The vulnerable system can be exploited without interaction from any human user, other than the attacker.
Vulnerable system confidentiality: Low: There is some loss of confidentiality. Access to some restricted information is obtained, but the attacker does not have control over what information is obtained, or the amount or kind of loss is limited. The information disclosure does not cause a direct, serious loss to the Vulnerable System.
Vulnerable system integrity: Low: Modification of data is possible, but the attacker does not have control over the consequence of a modification, or the amount of modification is limited. The data modification does not have a direct, serious impact to the Vulnerable System.
Vulnerable system availability: Low: Performance is reduced or there are interruptions in resource availability. Even if repeated exploitation of the vulnerability is possible, the attacker does not have the ability to completely deny service to legitimate users. The resources in the Vulnerable System are either partially available all of the time, or fully available only some of the time, but overall there is no direct, serious consequence to the Vulnerable System.
Subsequent system confidentiality: None: There is no loss of confidentiality within the Subsequent System or all confidentiality impact is constrained to the Vulnerable System.
Subsequent system integrity: None: There is no loss of integrity within the Subsequent System or all integrity impact is constrained to the Vulnerable System.
Subsequent system availability: None: There is no impact to availability within the Subsequent System or all availability impact is constrained to the Vulnerable System.
Exploit Maturity: POC: Based on threat intelligence sources each of the following must apply: · Proof-of-concept is publicly available · No knowledge of reported attempts to exploit this vulnerability · No knowledge of publicly available solutions used to simplify attempts to exploit the vulnerability

Definitions: FIRST CVSS v4.0 specification.

Exploitation evidence

Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 21 Mar 2026
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponized: evidence found.
CVSS exploit maturity: proof of concept public
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors

A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), CVSS vector, the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 1 Nov 2026.

Disclosed: The CVE record is public on cve.org. Its publication is t = 0.
Detectable: A public nuclei template can find exposed instances, for defenders and attackers alike.
Weaponized: A Metasploit exploit module or Exploit-DB entry exists (Metasploit scanner modules do not count), or CISA SSVC or the CVSS exploit maturity reports a public proof of concept.
Exploited in the wild: CISA KEV lists it, CISA SSVC rates exploitation active, or a source reports attacks.
Observed by OffSeq Mirage: OffSeq Mirage honeypot sensors recorded attack traffic for this CVE, or found exposed hosts without attack traffic.

Moments are spaced evenly, not to scale; a dashed line marks a gap of six months or more. Deltas count from t = 0. Sources that give only a date (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, or a time of exactly 00:00Z) read “same day” rather than hours. Metasploit modules carry the flaw’s disclosure date, not their release date, and nuclei templates carry no date, so both appear above but not on the timeline.

What to do

Affected software

Product	Affected	Fixed in
PbootCMS	Affected 3.2.0 – 3.2.12 13 affected builds	Fixed in–
GitHubzzj-create/pbootcms`pkg:github/zzj-create/pbootcms`Other threats	Affected 3.2.0 – 3.2.12 13 affected builds	Fixed in–

CPE configurations (1)

cpe:2.3:a:pbootcms:pbootcms:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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AI-suggested

Immediately restrict access to the backend administration interface by IP whitelisting or VPN-only access to reduce exposure.
Monitor web server and application logs for suspicious requests targeting the UserController.php or unusual manipulation of the 'Field' parameter.
Implement web application firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block attempts to exploit this vulnerability by filtering malformed or unauthorized requests to backend endpoints.
Apply the latest patches or updates from PbootCMS as soon as they become available to remediate the vulnerability directly.
If patches are not yet available, consider temporarily disabling or restricting the vulnerable functionality within UserController.php if feasible.
Conduct a thorough security review of user roles and permissions within the CMS to ensure least privilege principles are enforced.
Educate administrators about the vulnerability and encourage prompt incident reporting and response readiness.
Regularly back up CMS data and configurations to enable recovery in case of compromise.

Description

A flaw has been found in PbootCMS up to 3.2.12. Affected by this issue is some unknown functionality of the file apps/admin/controller/system/UserController.php of the component Backend. Executing a manipulation of the argument Field can lead to improper access controls. The attack may be performed from remote. The exploit has been published and may be used.

Impact

The vulnerability allows remote attackers to bypass access controls in the backend of PbootCMS, potentially leading to unauthorized access to administrative functions. This can result in unauthorized data disclosure, modification, or deletion, undermining the confidentiality and integrity of the CMS-managed content. Additionally, attackers might disrupt service availability by manipulating backend operations. Organizations relying on PbootCMS for website management or content delivery could face defacement, data breaches, or service interruptions. Given the remote exploitability without user interaction or high privileges, the attack surface is broad, especially for internet-facing CMS instances. The medium severity indicates a moderate risk; however, exploitation could be leveraged as a foothold for further attacks within the network. The absence of known exploits in the wild currently limits immediate widespread impact, but published exploit code increases the likelihood of future attacks.

References

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