Summary
Workarounds
If developers are not using user-supplied data in element names, no action is required.
Impact
View::_getElementFileName() does not check that the resolved element path is within the application/plugin view template paths. When element names are created with specifically crafted user-supplied data this weakness can be leveraged to include other PHP files on the server.
Input manipulates file paths to reach files outside the intended directory, such as configuration or credential files. Typical impact: unauthorized file read or write outside the intended directory.
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.
Remediation advice
Patched releases are available in 5.3.6, 5.2.13, 5.1.7, 4.6.4, and 4.5.11.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2026-48820? CVE-2026-48820 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in cakephp/cakephp (composer), affecting versions >= 5.3.0, < 5.3.6. It is fixed in 5.3.6, 5.2.13, 5.1.7, 4.6.4, 4.5.11. Input manipulates file paths to reach files outside the intended directory, such as configuration or credential files.
- Which versions of cakephp/cakephp are affected by CVE-2026-48820? cakephp/cakephp (composer) versions >= 5.3.0, < 5.3.6 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2026-48820? Yes. CVE-2026-48820 is fixed in 5.3.6, 5.2.13, 5.1.7, 4.6.4, 4.5.11. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2026-48820 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2026-48820 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-2026-48820 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-2026-48820?
- Upgrade
cakephp/cakephpto 5.3.6 or later - Upgrade
cakephp/cakephpto 5.2.13 or later - Upgrade
cakephp/cakephpto 5.1.7 or later - Upgrade
cakephp/cakephpto 4.6.4 or later - Upgrade
cakephp/cakephpto 4.5.11 or later
- Upgrade