Kiteworks Core: OS command injection enables privilege escalation in cluster
Summary
Kiteworks Core versions before 9.5.1 contain an OS command injection vulnerability (CWE-78) that enables privilege escalation (CWE-269) within a clustered deployment. An attacker who already has code execution on one cluster node can run operating system commands with elevated privileges on another node of the same cluster. The affected internal cluster management function is not reachable from outside the cluster, so exploitation requires prior access to a node. The CVSS base score is 8.8 (High).
Affected
- Kiteworks Core: all versions prior to 9.5.1 (vendor advisory GHSA-m968-434m-rgwp)
Fixed in
- Kiteworks Core 9.5.1 or later
Workaround
- Unknown. No vendor workaround was found; the vendor advises upgrading.
- Interim measure (not from a source): restrict access to cluster-internal nodes and node-to-node management traffic until patched.
Exploitation
- No evidence of exploitation in the wild found.
- No public proof of concept found.
- CISA SSVC assessment: exploitation none, automatable no, technical impact total.
Our recommendation
- Upgrade all Kiteworks Core nodes to version 9.5.1 or later and verify the installed version on every node, since a cluster may run mixed versions.
- Check whether your Kiteworks Core deployment runs as a cluster and prioritise patching if it does.
- Restrict access to cluster-internal nodes and monitor for unexpected administrative or operating system commands on nodes.
- Review other Kiteworks Core nodes for exposure, because an attacker could use another flaw to gain the initial access needed for this one.
Public exploits
PoC-in-GitHub, Metasploit and Exploit-DB list nothing for this CVE.
Research sources
- Vendor advisory GHSA-m968-434m-rgwp github.com
- CISA CSAF advisory va-26-274-01 raw.githubusercontent.com
- BleepingComputer: Kiteworks lifts shutdown warning after patching critical flaw www.bleepingcomputer.com
- TechCrunch: Kiteworks urges customers to shut down their servers techcrunch.com
Researched and written up in English and German by an AI (Claude by Anthropic) based on NVD, CISA, EPSS and the sources listed. The vendor information is authoritative. Researched on 31 Oct 2026, 23:03.
Original description (NVD)
A privilege escalation vulnerability in Kiteworks could have allowed an attacker who had already obtained code execution on one node of a clustered Kiteworks deployment to run operating system commands with elevated privileges on another node of the same cluster. Insufficient input validation in an internal cluster management function let attacker-supplied values reach a privileged execution context; exploitation requires existing access to a node in the cluster, and the affected function is not reachable from outside the cluster.
Sources
The tracker combines official, freely usable data sources – updated continuously:
- NVD (NIST) – CVEs, rating (CVSS), affected products
- CISA KEV – vulnerabilities confirmed by CISA as actively exploited
- CISA Vulnrichment – CISA assessment (SSVC) in the official CVE record
- FIRST EPSS – probability of exploitation
- Microsoft MSRC – Patch Tuesday: vulnerabilities, severity, updates
- PoC-in-GitHub – public proof-of-concept repositories
- Metasploit (Rapid7) – modules of the Metasploit Framework
- Exploit-DB (OffSec) – archive of public exploits (links only)
- Patch days: official vendor pages (linked per vendor) (Vendor patch days)
This product uses data from the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. EPSS data © FIRST.org.
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