CVE-2026-105646 in Ghost
Summary
by MITRE • 10/05/2026
Ghost is a Node.js content management system. From 4.0.0 until 6.67.0, a crafted content import file could cause excessive CPU usage, making the Ghost server unresponsive. Exploiting this requires Administrator access. This issue is fixed in version 6.67.0.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/05/2026
The vulnerability identified within the Ghost content management system represents a significant resource exhaustion flaw that impacts service availability for administrators and end-users alike. Operating as a popular Node.js-based platform, Ghost relies on efficient processing of various data formats to function correctly. The specific issue resides in the handling of crafted content import files during the ingestion process. When an administrator attempts to import a maliciously constructed file designed to trigger excessive computational load, the server enters a state of high CPU utilization that persists until the operation completes or is forcibly terminated. This behavior effectively renders the Ghost instance unresponsive, creating a denial-of-service condition for all users attempting to access the platform during the exploitation window.
From a technical perspective, this flaw aligns with CWE-400, which describes Uncontrolled Resource Consumption. The underlying mechanism likely involves inefficient parsing logic or an algorithmic complexity issue where certain input patterns cause exponential processing time relative to file size or structure. Because the vulnerability requires Administrator access for exploitation, it is classified as an internal threat vector rather than a remote unauthenticated attack. This distinction highlights that while the impact on availability is severe, the barrier to entry involves compromising privileged credentials or exploiting other vulnerabilities within the administrative interface. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this behavior under Resource Hijacking techniques, specifically those aimed at disrupting service availability through computational exhaustion rather than direct system compromise.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple performance degradation. A server locked in a high-CPU state cannot serve HTTP requests efficiently, leading to timeouts and connection failures for site visitors. For organizations relying on Ghost for critical content delivery or internal communications, such an outage can result in significant business disruption. Furthermore, because the attack requires administrative privileges, it underscores the importance of strict access control policies. If an attacker gains admin rights through phishing, credential stuffing, or other means, they possess the capability to destabilize the entire infrastructure without needing to exploit a separate denial-of-service vulnerability. This makes the integrity of authentication mechanisms and privilege escalation controls paramount in mitigating this risk.
Mitigation strategies primarily involve upgrading to version 6.67.0 or later, where the developers have addressed the root cause of the excessive CPU usage during import operations. For environments that cannot immediately patch due to compatibility concerns with older Node.js versions or other dependencies, temporary countermeasures should be implemented at the network perimeter. Web Application Firewalls can be configured to inspect incoming file uploads for suspicious patterns associated with resource exhaustion attacks, although this may not catch all crafted inputs. Additionally, implementing strict rate limiting and timeout configurations on the server side can help mitigate the duration of the impact if an attack occurs. Administrators should also enforce multi-factor authentication and monitor admin account activity closely to detect unauthorized access attempts that could lead to exploitation of this flaw. Regular auditing of imported content structures and validating file types against expected schemas further reduces the risk surface associated with data ingestion processes in CMS platforms.