CVE-2026-44177
HighKirby CMS has pre-authentication path traversal and PHP file inclusion during user lookup
Published May 26, 2026 · Updated Sep 10, 2026 · Also known as EUVD-2026-45049, GHSA-9hx7-c53c-v6x8
Key Facts
Patch in the next maintenance window- CVE-2026-44177 is a high-severity vulnerability (CVSS 8.8 v4) affecting getkirby/cms (composer), kirby.
- It is not listed in any known-exploited vulnerabilities catalog. No public exploit code is known.
- EPSS estimates a 1.8% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
- Fixed versions are available, including getkirby/cms 5.4.1, kirby 5.4.1.
- Brandefense priority: patch in the next maintenance window, because of its high severity, although no exploitation is known.
CVSS v4
8.8
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:L/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
EPSS (30-day exploit likelihood)
1.8%
Higher than 77.7% of all scored CVEs
Exploited in the wild
No known
Not in a known-exploited catalog
Public exploit code
None known
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Description
Kirby is an open-source content management system. In versions 5.3.0 and above but prior to 5.4.1, Kirby did not correctly validate the provided user ID, resulting in a path traversal vulnerability. Version 5.3.0 introduced a performance improvement to the Users collection that loaded user objects lazily when first needed. Users were queried by their ID, which was then used to locate the corresponding account directory under site/accounts. This affected the authentication API (accessible to unauthenticated requests), the users API (accessible only to authenticated users), and any other place that uses $users->find() to look up an individual user by a request-provided email or ID. As a result, an attacker could trigger arbitrary PHP file inclusion of files named index.php (for example, the main PHP files of plugins), the impact of which depends on the logic those files contain. It also allowed probing for the existence of arbitrary directories on the server, letting attackers fingerprint the server and site setup, including installed plugins and the content structure. This issue has been fixed in version 5.4.1.
Affected Products
2 affected entries in total| Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
| getkirby/cmscomposer | >= 5.3.0 | 5.4.1 |
| kirby | >= 5.3.0, | 5.4.1 |
Patched Releases
getkirby/cms
5.4.1
kirby
5.4.1
Timeline
Publicly disclosed
May 26, 2026
Last updated
Sep 10, 2026
Weakness Type
- CWE-22 Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')
- CWE-98 Improper Control of Filename for Include/Require Statement in PHP Program ('PHP Remote File Inclusion')
References
- advisoryGHSA advisory
- advisoryhttps://github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/tree/main/cves/2026/44xxx/CVE-2026-44177.json
- advisoryhttps://github.com/getkirby/kirby/releases/tag/5.4.1
- advisoryhttps://github.com/getkirby/kirby/security/advisories/GHSA-9hx7-c53c-v6x8
- advisoryhttps://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-44177
FAQ
Common Questions.
Kirby is an open-source content management system.
Affected: getkirby/cms (composer) versions >= 5.3.0; kirby versions >= 5.3.0,. The full list is in the CVE brief.
It is not listed in any known-exploited vulnerabilities catalog.
No, it is not currently listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog.
No public exploit code is known.
Fixed versions are available, including getkirby/cms 5.4.1, kirby 5.4.1.
Brandefense priority: patch in the next maintenance window, because of its high severity, although no exploitation is known.
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