CVE-2026-70591 in Ghost
Summary
by MITRE • 08/05/2026
Ghost is a Node.js content management system. From 0.10.0 until 6.54.1, a Server-Side Request Forgery in Ghost Admin image fetching allowed any staff-level user to perform a blind HTTP GET request against internal hosts. No output was returned, but this could have been used to probe open ports on internal hosts. This issue is fixed in version 6.54.1.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/05/2026
The Ghost content management system suffered from a critical server-side request forgery vulnerability that affected versions ranging from 0.10.0 through 6.54.1. This flaw existed within the admin image fetching functionality and represented a significant security weakness that could be exploited by authenticated users with staff-level privileges. The vulnerability stemmed from inadequate input validation and sanitization in the image handling component, which allowed malicious requests to be forwarded to internal network resources without proper authorization checks. According to CWE-918, this represents a server-side request forgery weakness where the application's trust in user-supplied data leads to unauthorized access to internal systems.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability enabled staff-level users to craft HTTP GET requests that would be executed on behalf of the Ghost server against arbitrary internal hosts. This blind SSRF capability meant that attackers could perform port scanning and service enumeration against internal network resources without receiving direct output responses, though the reconnaissance activities were still highly problematic from a security perspective. The flaw essentially created an unauthorized proxy mechanism within the application's administrative interface, allowing attackers to bypass normal network segmentation controls and potentially discover sensitive internal services or systems.
The operational impact of this vulnerability was substantial for organizations running affected Ghost installations, as it provided a means for insider threats or compromised staff accounts to perform network reconnaissance activities. Attackers could use this capability to map internal network topologies, identify running services on internal hosts, and potentially discover vulnerable internal systems that were not exposed to external networks. This reconnaissance activity could serve as a precursor to more serious attacks, including the exploitation of additional vulnerabilities within the internal network infrastructure. The vulnerability also violated fundamental security principles of least privilege and network segmentation.
Organizations using Ghost CMS needed to implement immediate mitigations to address this vulnerability, with the most effective solution being the upgrade to version 6.54.1 or later where the issue was properly patched. Additional defensive measures included implementing strict input validation for all user-supplied URLs, configuring network firewalls to restrict outbound connections from the Ghost server, and monitoring for unusual patterns in image fetching activities. The remediation process should also involve reviewing and strengthening authentication mechanisms to prevent unauthorized access to staff-level accounts, as well as implementing proper network segmentation practices to limit potential damage from such vulnerabilities. This issue aligns with ATT&CK technique T1071.004 for application layer protocol: DNS and T1046 for network service discovery, demonstrating how server-side request forgery can be leveraged for reconnaissance activities within compromised environments.