Summary
AdminNeo SQLite Database-List Drop Arbitrary File Deletion
AdminNeo allows an authenticated SQLite-mode user to delete arbitrary files writable by the PHP process through the database-list drop action. The SQLite driver validates file extensions when creating or renaming databases, but the database-list drop path passes submitted db[] values directly to unlink().
Originally reported by @slpoiuewalspoid-dotcom in Adminer: https://github.com/vrana/adminer/security/advisories/GHSA-6pg3-chwq-wgqc
Root Cause
The database-list page accepts selected database names from the POST body and calls drop_databases():
if ($_POST["db"]) {
queries_redirect(substr(ME, 0, -1), lang('Databases have been dropped.'), drop_databases($_POST["db"]));
}
In SQLite mode, drop_databases() attaches an in-memory database and unlinks each submitted path directly:
function drop_databases($databases): bool
{
Connection::get()->close(); // to unlock file, doesn't work in PDO on Windows
foreach ($databases as $db) {
if (!@unlink($db)) {
Connection::get()->setError(lang('File exists.'));
return false;
}
}
return true;
}
The same SQLite driver protects create and rename operations with check_sqlite_name(), which requires a .db, .sdb, or .sqlite extension:
function check_sqlite_name($name) {
// avoid creating PHP files on unsecured servers
$extensions = "db|sdb|sqlite";
if (!preg_match("~^[^\\0]*\\.($extensions)\$~", $name)) {
Connection::get()->setError(lang('Please use one of the extensions %s.', str_replace("|", ", ", $extensions)));
return false;
}
return true;
}
The drop path does not apply an equivalent extension check or bind the submitted path to a known listed SQLite database.
POC
1. Start a complete AdminNeo application
Build and start AdminNeo from the audited source using the official standalone Docker image shape. The validation image copies the audited source tree into /var/www/html and starts Nginx HTTP server.
Log in through the SQLite entry point using a SQLite database path poc.sqlite.
2. Prepare a writable target file
Place a non-database file under a location writable by the AdminNeo PHP process. The validation used:
/var/www/html/poc-delete-target.txt
The same directory also contained a SQLite database:
/var/www/html/poc.sqlite
3. Submit the database-list drop request
Use the authenticated session and live CSRF token, but submit the non-database path as the selected database:
POST /?sqlite=&username= HTTP/1.1
Host: <adminer-host>
Cookie: <authenticated-session>
Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded
db[]=/var/www/html/poc-delete-target.txt&all=&drop=Drop&token=<live-csrf-token>
The request reaches drop_databases($_POST["db"]), and SQLite drop_databases() calls unlink() on the submitted non-database path.
After the request, the poc-delete-target.txt was deleted.
Impact
An authenticated AdminNeo SQLite user with a valid CSRF token can submit an arbitrary relative file path in the database-list db[] field. If the PHP process can delete that path, AdminNeo unlinks it even when the file is not a SQLite database.
CVE-2026-96633 has a CVSS score of 8.1 (High). 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 (5.5.1); 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.
Already deployed Kodem?
See it in your environmentNew to Kodem? Get a demo →Remediation advice
Apply the same target validation used by SQLite create/rename before deleting database files. At minimum:
- Reject paths whose basename does not end in
.db,.sdb, or.sqlite. - Bind
db[]values to databases returned by AdminNeo's database listing instead of trusting submitted paths. - Resolve paths before deletion and reject traversal outside the expected SQLite database directory.
- Consider requiring the current selected database path for delete operations instead of accepting arbitrary submitted file paths.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2026-96633? CVE-2026-96633 is a high-severity security vulnerability in adminneo-org/adminneo (composer), affecting versions < 5.5.1. It is fixed in 5.5.1.
- How severe is CVE-2026-96633? CVE-2026-96633 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 adminneo-org/adminneo are affected by CVE-2026-96633? adminneo-org/adminneo (composer) versions < 5.5.1 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2026-96633? Yes. CVE-2026-96633 is fixed in 5.5.1. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2026-96633 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2026-96633 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-2026-96633 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-2026-96633? Upgrade
adminneo-org/adminneoto 5.5.1 or later.