CVE-2026-12196 in hestiacp
Summary
by MITRE • 07/04/2026
HestiaCP panel cronjob feature is affected by a broken access control vulnerability. Low privilege users can modify the panel cronjob to execute scripts HestiaCP management scripts with passwordless sudo. This could result in the takeover of administrator users in the application and the underlying webserver.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/04/2026
The vulnerability resides within the Hestia Control Panel's cronjob functionality where a broken access control flaw allows low privilege users to manipulate scheduled tasks. This issue stems from inadequate permission validation mechanisms that fail to properly restrict user access to critical system operations. The technical implementation lacks proper authentication checks when processing cronjob modifications, enabling unauthorized users to inject malicious commands into the scheduling system.
The flaw operates through a privilege escalation vector where regular users can modify existing cronjobs or create new ones that execute HestiaCP management scripts with elevated privileges. This occurs because the system does not adequately verify whether the requesting user has sufficient permissions to modify cronjob configurations that ultimately execute commands requiring passwordless sudo access. The vulnerability creates an attack surface where malicious actors can leverage this weakness to gain unauthorized administrative control over the panel and underlying server infrastructure.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation to full system compromise. When low privilege users successfully modify cronjobs to execute management scripts with sudo privileges, they effectively gain administrative control over the HestiaCP panel itself. This access allows them to manipulate user accounts, modify server configurations, access sensitive data, and potentially compromise the entire webserver environment. The attack chain typically involves creating or modifying cronjobs that execute commands such as v-change-user-password or other administrative functions without requiring password authentication.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-284 which addresses improper access control issues in software systems. The flaw represents a classic case of insufficient authorization checks where the system fails to properly validate user privileges before allowing modifications to critical system components. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this maps to privilege escalation techniques under T1068 and defense evasion through T1070, as attackers can maintain persistent access while avoiding detection mechanisms that would normally flag unauthorized administrative activities.
Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing robust access control validation at every stage of cronjob modification processes. System administrators must ensure that all user interactions with cronjob configurations are properly authenticated and authorized using role-based access controls. The implementation should enforce strict permission checks before allowing any modifications to scheduled tasks that could execute privileged commands. Additionally, monitoring and logging mechanisms should be enhanced to detect unauthorized cronjob modifications, while regular security audits can help identify potential privilege escalation vectors that may not have been initially apparent in the system design.