Ghost Vulnerable to Remote Code Execution via Malicious ThemesGHSA-cgc2-rcrh-qr5x
HIGHGHSA-cgc2-rcrh-qr5x is a high-severity (CVSS 7.6) CWE-74 vulnerability in ghost. 1 public exploit or proof-of-concept reference is indexed, so weaponization risk is real. A fix is available for ghost — see the affected versions and patch details below.
Exploitation Status
No confirmed exploitation observed yet
- A successful exploit gives an attacker total control of the affected component, not partial access.
- 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 GHSA-cgc2-rcrh-qr5x.
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
How broadly this vulnerability is actually deployed: weekly install volume shows current usage, and reverse-dependency count shows how many other packages break if it stays unpatched.
ghostnpmDescription
Impact
Specifically crafted malicious themes can execute arbitrary code on the server running Ghost.
Vulnerable Versions
This vulnerability is present in Ghost v0.7.2 to v6.19.0.
Patches
v6.19.1 contains a fix for this issue.
Workarounds
Ghost generally recommends users refrain from installing untrusted themes. If a malicious theme has already been installed, it is recommended to uninstall the theme and then inspect it to understand its impact, which will be attack-specific.
References
Ghost thanks Cristian-Alexandru Staicu at Endor Labs for disclosing this vulnerability responsibly.
For more information
If there are any questions or comments about this advisory, email Ghost at [email protected].
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 📦npm | ghost | ≥ 0.7.2&&< 6.19.1 | 6.19.1npm install ghost@6.19.1 |
Affected Products
ghostghostResearch use only. For defensive security, authorized penetration testing, and academic research only. Never execute exploit code against systems without explicit written authorization.
Ghost_CMS 6.19.0 - Remote Code Execution
by Maksim Rogov · Sep 2, 2026
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for ghost, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update ghost to 6.19.1 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-cgc2-rcrh-qr5x 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-cgc2-rcrh-qr5x in your dependencies?
Find it across npm, including transitive dependencies.