Summary
Ghost has a SQL injection in Content API
Vulnerable Versions
This vulnerability is present in Ghost v3.24.0 to v6.19.0.
Workarounds
There is no application-level workaround. The Content API key is public by design, so restricting key access does not mitigate this vulnerability.
As a temporary mitigation, a reverse proxy or WAF rule can be used to block Content API requests containing slug%3A%5B or slug:[ in the query string filter parameter. Note that this may break legitimate slug filter functionality.
References
We thank Nicholas Carlini using Claude, Anthropic for disclosing this vulnerability responsibly.
For more information
If you have any questions or comments about this advisory, email us at [email protected].
Impact
A SQL injection vulnerability existed in Ghost's Content API that allowed unauthenticated attackers to read arbitrary data from the database.
Untrusted input alters a database query, allowing the attacker to read or modify data the query was not intended to access. Typical impact: data disclosure or modification.
CVE-2026-26980 has a CVSS score of 9.4 (Critical). The vector is network-reachable, no privileges required, and no user interaction. A CVSS score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether this affects your application depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable in your environment. A fixed version is available (6.19.1); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.
Affected versions
Security releases
Kodem intelligence
Severity tells you how bad this could be in the worst case. It does not tell you whether you are exposed. Exploitability and impact are functions of runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A vulnerable package can sit in your dependency tree and never run.
Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter. Kodem's runtime-powered SCA identifies whether this CVE is reachable in your applications.
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See it in your environmentNew to Kodem? Get a demo →Remediation advice
v6.19.1 contains a fix for this issue.
Note: as this vulnerability lets an attacker gain access to a site's API keys, we recommend reviewing staff users and rotating keys. We generally recommend always updating Ghost to its most current version.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2026-26980? CVE-2026-26980 is a critical-severity SQL injection vulnerability in ghost (npm), affecting versions >= 3.24.0, < 6.19.1. It is fixed in 6.19.1. Untrusted input alters a database query, allowing the attacker to read or modify data the query was not intended to access.
- How severe is CVE-2026-26980? CVE-2026-26980 has a CVSS score of 9.4 (Critical). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.
- Which versions of ghost are affected by CVE-2026-26980? ghost (npm) versions >= 3.24.0, < 6.19.1 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2026-26980? Yes. CVE-2026-26980 is fixed in 6.19.1. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2026-26980 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2026-26980 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
- What actually determines whether CVE-2026-26980 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.
- How do I fix CVE-2026-26980? Upgrade
ghostto 6.19.1 or later.