CVE-2026-54492

Koel: Authenticated Blind SSRF via Subsonic Podcast Channel Creation

An authenticated user can make Koel send server-side HTTP requests to internal destinations that are intentionally blocked by the main web API.

Validated impact:

• SSRF to loopback, Docker-bridge, and RFC1918 HTTP destinations reachable from the Koel server
• Internal service discovery and request execution through the podcast parser

Generic response-body exfiltration was not validated through this exact route. The confirmed impact is SSRF-based internal request execution.

Untrusted input controls the target URL of a server-initiated request, which may reach internal services not otherwise accessible from outside. Typical impact: access to internal metadata services, internal APIs, or cloud credentials.

CVE-2026-54492 has a CVSS score of 4.3 (Medium). The vector is network-reachable, low 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 (9.7.0); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

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The Subsonic podcast request validator should apply SafeUrl, and the parser entry point should reject unsafe targets as defense in depth.

Suggested patch for app/Http/Requests/Subsonic/CreatePodcastChannelRequest.php:

diff --git a/app/Http/Requests/Subsonic/CreatePodcastChannelRequest.php b/app/Http/Requests/Subsonic/CreatePodcastChannelRequest.php
--- a/app/Http/Requests/Subsonic/CreatePodcastChannelRequest.php
+++ b/app/Http/Requests/Subsonic/CreatePodcastChannelRequest.php
@@
 namespace App\Http\Requests\Subsonic;
 
 use App\Http\Requests\Request;
+use App\Rules\SafeUrl;
@@
     public function rules(): array
     {
         return [
-            'url' => ['required', 'string', 'url'],
+            'url' => ['required', 'string', 'url', new SafeUrl()],
         ];
     }
 }

Suggested defense-in-depth patch for app/Services/Podcast/PodcastService.php:

diff --git a/app/Services/Podcast/PodcastService.php b/app/Services/Podcast/PodcastService.php
--- a/app/Services/Podcast/PodcastService.php
+++ b/app/Services/Podcast/PodcastService.php
@@
     private function createParser(string $url): Poddle
     {
+        if (!$this->network->isSafeUrl($url)) {
+            throw FailedToParsePodcastFeedException::create($url);
+        }
+
         return Poddle::fromUrl($url, 5 * 60, $this->client);
     }
 }

1. What is CVE-2026-54492? CVE-2026-54492 is a medium-severity server-side request forgery (SSRF) vulnerability in phanan/koel (composer), affecting versions <= 9.6.0. It is fixed in 9.7.0. Untrusted input controls the target URL of a server-initiated request, which may reach internal services not otherwise accessible from outside.
2. How severe is CVE-2026-54492? CVE-2026-54492 has a CVSS score of 4.3 (Medium). 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.
3. Which versions of phanan/koel are affected by CVE-2026-54492? phanan/koel (composer) versions <= 9.6.0 is affected.
4. Is there a fix for CVE-2026-54492? Yes. CVE-2026-54492 is fixed in 9.7.0. Upgrade to this version or later.
5. Is CVE-2026-54492 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2026-54492 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
6. What actually determines whether CVE-2026-54492 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.
7. How do I fix CVE-2026-54492? Upgrade phanan/koel to 9.7.0 or later.

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