CVE-2026-124013 in XWEB EVO
Summary
by MITRE • 11/12/2026
XWEB EVO 5.6.2 through 5.8.8 contains an authenticated OS command injection vulnerability in the api.lua import_preconfiguration and restore actions, where server_url and related server credential fields are concatenated unescaped into a root curl command executed via io.popen. Attackers can inject malicious shell commands through these unfiltered parameters to achieve arbitrary command execution with root privileges on the underlying system. This product line reached it's end of service date in March 2026.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/12/2026
The vulnerability identified within XWEB EVO versions ranging from 5.6.2 through 5.8.8 represents a critical authenticated operating system command injection flaw located specifically within the api.lua module. This security defect manifests during two distinct administrative actions: import_preconfiguration and restore operations. The core technical issue arises from improper neutralization of special elements used in an operating system command, commonly referred to as CWE-78. In these specific code paths, user-supplied input fields such as server_url and associated server credentials are concatenated directly into a shell command string without any sanitization or escaping mechanisms. This unescaped concatenation is then passed to the io.popen function, which executes the constructed command via the system's default shell interpreter. Because this execution context operates with root privileges on the underlying operating system, an attacker who successfully authenticates to the application can leverage these parameters to inject arbitrary shell commands that will be executed immediately by the privileged process.
From a technical perspective, the exploitation of this vulnerability relies on the ability of an authenticated user to manipulate the input fields during configuration import or restoration processes. By injecting specific metacharacters such as semicolons, ampersands, or pipe characters into the server_url field, an attacker can break out of the intended command structure and append additional commands for execution. For instance, appending a reverse shell payload or a simple command like cat /etc/passwd would result in immediate execution by the root user account associated with the application process. This lack of input validation allows for complete compromise of the host system's confidentiality, integrity, and availability. The severity is further exacerbated by the fact that XWEB EVO products are often deployed as critical infrastructure components where administrative access might be granted to various levels of personnel, increasing the potential attack surface if authentication controls are not strictly enforced or if credentials are compromised through other vectors such as weak passwords or credential stuffing attacks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe due to the privilege level at which it operates. Achieving arbitrary command execution with root privileges effectively grants an attacker full control over the server hosting the XWEB EVO application. This can lead to data exfiltration, installation of persistent backdoors, lateral movement within the network if the compromised host serves as a pivot point, and potential disruption of services provided by the appliance. Given that this vulnerability exists in functions related to configuration management, it may also allow an attacker to alter system settings persistently or disable security logging mechanisms to cover their tracks. The presence of such a high-severity flaw in administrative interfaces significantly undermines the trust model of the application, as administrators are expected to have elevated privileges but not necessarily unrestricted shell access that can be abused by lower-privileged authenticated users if proper role-based access controls are not implemented alongside input validation.
Industry standards classify this type of vulnerability under CWE-78: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command and align with the MITRE ATT&CK technique T1059, specifically subtechniques related to command and script interpreters such as T1059.004 for Unix Shell Commands or T1059.007 for PowerShell if applicable depending on the underlying environment. The exploitation path typically involves Initial Access via valid credentials followed by Execution through OS Command Injection. To mitigate this risk, organizations must prioritize patching to a version of XWEB EVO that addresses these specific input validation flaws in the api.lua module. Since the product line has reached its end-of-service date as of March 2026, immediate migration to supported alternatives is strongly recommended if patches are no longer available from the vendor. In environments where upgrading is not immediately feasible, network segmentation should be enforced to restrict access to the administrative interface only from trusted management networks. Additionally, implementing strict input validation at the application layer and ensuring that service accounts run with the minimum necessary privileges can help reduce the blast radius of such vulnerabilities even if they are exploited. Regular auditing of authentication logs for unusual activity related to configuration imports or restores can also aid in early detection of attempted exploitation activities.