Summary
Laravel Backpack CRUD: OS command injection in Stats::makeCurlRequest via attacker-controlled Host header (pre-auth)
Backpack\CRUD\Stats::makeCurlRequest builds a shell command using unescaped input that originates from the HTTP Host header, then passes it to exec(). A specially crafted Host header can break out of the shell argument and cause the server to execute arbitrary OS commands as the web user.
The vulnerable code path is reached from BackpackServiceProvider::boot() on every HTTP request in production when exec() and curl are available. A 1-in-100 random gate is the only guard, an attacker can reliably trigger it by retrying.
Severity
High, CVSS 8.1CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Attack Complexity is rated High because default nginx and Apache configurations typically strip or reject malformed Host headers before they reach PHP, and exec() is often disabled for web processes in hardened environments. Both mitigations must be absent for exploitation.
Affected versions
| Branch | Vulnerable range | First safe version |
|---|---|---|
| 4.1.x | < 4.1.70 |
4.1.70 |
| 5.x | < 5.6.2 |
5.6.2 |
| 6.x | < 6.8.13 |
6.8.13 |
| 7.x | < 7.0.36 |
7.0.36 |
Credits
Reported by Vishal Shukla (@shukla304) via sechub.dev AI Agent.
Impact
A successful exploit yields OS command execution as the web server user (www-data, nginx, etc.), giving an unauthenticated attacker access to environment secrets (APP_KEY, database credentials, API keys in .env), the filesystem, and any service the server can reach.
The application does not adequately validate input before processing it, allowing unexpected values to reach sensitive code paths. Typical impact: varies by context: data corruption, logic bypass, or denial of service.
CVE-2026-54182 has a CVSS score of 8.1 (High). 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 (4.1.72, 5.6.2, 6.8.13, 7.0.36); 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.
Already deployed Kodem?
See it in your environmentNew to Kodem? Get a demo →Remediation advice
makeCurlRequest was replaced with the Guzzle-based path already present in the codebase, eliminating the shell-command construction entirely. Upgrade to a patched release immediately.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2026-54182? CVE-2026-54182 is a high-severity improper input validation vulnerability in backpack/crud (composer), affecting versions >= 4.1.0, < 4.1.72. It is fixed in 4.1.72, 5.6.2, 6.8.13, 7.0.36. The application does not adequately validate input before processing it, allowing unexpected values to reach sensitive code paths.
- How severe is CVE-2026-54182? CVE-2026-54182 has a CVSS score of 8.1 (High). 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 backpack/crud are affected by CVE-2026-54182? backpack/crud (composer) versions >= 4.1.0, < 4.1.72 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2026-54182? Yes. CVE-2026-54182 is fixed in 4.1.72, 5.6.2, 6.8.13, 7.0.36. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2026-54182 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2026-54182 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-2026-54182 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-2026-54182?
- Upgrade
backpack/crudto 4.1.72 or later - Upgrade
backpack/crudto 5.6.2 or later - Upgrade
backpack/crudto 6.8.13 or later - Upgrade
backpack/crudto 7.0.36 or later
- Upgrade