Summary
Ghost vulnerable to remote code execution in locale setting change
Workarounds
Patched versions of Ghost add validation to the locale input to prevent execution of arbitrary files. Updating Ghost is the quickest complete solution.
As a workaround, if for any reason you cannot update your Ghost instance, you can block the POST /ghost/api/admin/settings/ endpoint, which will also disable updating settings for your site.
For more information
If you have any questions or comments about this advisory:
- Email us at [email protected]
Credits
- devx00 - https://twitter.com/devx00
Impact
A vulnerability in an upstream library means an authenticated attacker can abuse locale input to execute arbitrary commands from a file that has previously been uploaded using the file upload functionality in the post editor.
GHSA-7V28-G2PQ-GGG8 has a CVSS score of 6.6 (Medium). The vector is network-reachable, high 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 (4.48.2, 5.2.3); 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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Fixed in 5.2.3, all 5.x sites should update as soon as possible.
Fixed in 4.48.2, all 4.x sites should update as soon as possible.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is GHSA-7V28-G2PQ-GGG8? GHSA-7V28-G2PQ-GGG8 is a medium-severity security vulnerability in ghost (npm), affecting versions < 4.48.2. It is fixed in 4.48.2, 5.2.3.
- How severe is GHSA-7V28-G2PQ-GGG8? GHSA-7V28-G2PQ-GGG8 has a CVSS score of 6.6 (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.
- Which versions of ghost are affected by GHSA-7V28-G2PQ-GGG8? ghost (npm) versions < 4.48.2 is affected.
- Is there a fix for GHSA-7V28-G2PQ-GGG8? Yes. GHSA-7V28-G2PQ-GGG8 is fixed in 4.48.2, 5.2.3. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is GHSA-7V28-G2PQ-GGG8 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether GHSA-7V28-G2PQ-GGG8 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 GHSA-7V28-G2PQ-GGG8 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 GHSA-7V28-G2PQ-GGG8?
- Upgrade
ghostto 4.48.2 or later - Upgrade
ghostto 5.2.3 or later
- Upgrade