GHSA-86rf-38v8-9c4x is a high-severity (CVSS 8.8) CWE-268 vulnerability in cockpit-hq/cockpit. 1 public exploit or proof-of-concept reference is indexed, so weaponization risk is real. A fix is available for cockpit-hq/cockpit — see the affected versions and patch details below.
Exploitation Status
Proof-of-concept exploit code exists
- CISA’s SSVC triage found public proof-of-concept exploit code for this CVE, though no confirmed active exploitation.
- A successful exploit gives an attacker total control of the affected component, not partial access.
Exploitation and automatability from CISA’s SSVC triage for GHSA-86rf-38v8-9c4x.
EPSS Exploitation Probability
Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days, from FIRST.org EPSS.
How urgent is this, really
Where this sits among everything scored
Real-World Exposure
cockpit-hq/cockpitReal-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
Privilege Chaining in GitHub repository cockpit-hq/cockpit prior to 2.3.8.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🐘Packagist | cockpit-hq/cockpit | all versions | 2.3.8composer require cockpit-hq/cockpit:^2.3.8 |
Affected Products
cockpitagentejoResearch use only. For defensive security, authorized penetration testing, and academic research only. Never execute exploit code against systems without explicit written authorization.
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for cockpit-hq/cockpit, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update cockpit-hq/cockpit to 2.3.8 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-86rf-38v8-9c4x 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is GHSA-86rf-38v8-9c4x in your dependencies?
Find it across Packagist, including transitive dependencies.