CVE-2026-48820 — cakephp/cakephp
CVE-2026-48820 is a Path Traversal vulnerability in cakephp/cakephp. A fix is available for cakephp/cakephp — see the affected versions and patch details below.
CakePHP: View::element() is missing a path containment check
Exploitation Status
No confirmed exploitation observed yet
- CISA’s own triage has not observed active exploitation or public proof-of-concept code for this CVE as of its last assessment.
Exploitation and automatability from CISA’s SSVC triage for CVE-2026-48820.
EPSS Exploitation Probability
EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) is a daily probability model maintained by FIRST.org. It estimates the likelihood a CVE will be exploited in production environments within the next 30 days, derived from real-world threat intelligence signals.
Real-World Exposure
cakephp/cakephp🐘cakephp/cakephp🐘cakephp/cakephp🐘cakephp/cakephp🐘cakephp/cakephpReal-time download stats are indexed for npm and PyPI packages. This vulnerability affects Packagist packages — download data is not available via public APIs for these ecosystems.
Description
CakePHP is a rapid development framework for PHP. In versions 4.5.11 and earlier, 4.6.0 through 4.6.3, 5.0.0 through 5.1.6, 5.2.0 through 5.2.12, and 5.3.0 through 5.3.5, View::_getElementFileName() does not check that the resolved element path is within the application/plugin view template paths. When element names are created with specifically crafted user-supplied data this weakness can be leveraged to include other PHP files on the server. Patched releases are available in 5.3.6, 5.2.13, 5.1.7, 4.6.4, and 4.5.11.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🐘Packagist | cakephp/cakephp | ≥ 5.3.0&&< 5.3.6 | 5.3.6composer require cakephp/cakephp:^5.3.6 |
| 🐘Packagist | cakephp/cakephp | ≥ 5.2.0&&< 5.2.13 | 5.2.13composer require cakephp/cakephp:^5.2.13 |
| 🐘Packagist | cakephp/cakephp | ≥ 5.0.0&&< 5.1.7 | 5.1.7composer require cakephp/cakephp:^5.1.7 |
| 🐘Packagist | cakephp/cakephp | ≥ 4.6.0&&< 4.6.4 | 4.6.4composer require cakephp/cakephp:^4.6.4 |
| 🐘Packagist | cakephp/cakephp | all versions | 4.5.11composer require cakephp/cakephp:^4.5.11 |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for cakephp/cakephp, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update cakephp/cakephp to 5.3.6 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2026-48820 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
If you can't upgrade right away: gate or disable the affected feature, validate untrusted input at the boundary, and avoid passing attacker-controlled data into the vulnerable path. O3's runtime protection blocks exploitation in production as an interim safeguard until the upgrade lands.
How O3 protects you
O3 Security's impact-aware SCA analyses which vulnerable code paths your application actually calls, so a match like CVE-2026-48820 can be triaged on real exposure rather than presence alone.
Tailored to CVE-2026-48820. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2026-48820 in your dependencies?
O3 Security finds CVE-2026-48820 across Packagist dependencies, including transitive ones, and its impact-aware SCA ranks findings by whether your code actually calls the vulnerable path.