CVE-2026-48820
Received Received - Intake
Path Traversal in CakePHP Framework

Publication date: 2026-06-17

Last updated on: 2026-06-17

Assigner: GitHub, Inc.

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.
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Meta Information
Published
2026-06-17
Last Modified
2026-06-17
Generated
2026-06-18
AI Q&A
2026-06-18
EPSS Evaluated
N/A
NVD
CVE-2026-48820
Affected Vendors & Products
Showing 9 associated CPEs
Vendor Product Version / Range
cakephp cakephp 4.5.11
cakephp cakephp From 4.6.0 (inc) to 4.6.3 (inc)
cakephp cakephp From 5.0.0 (inc) to 5.1.6 (inc)
cakephp cakephp From 5.2.0 (inc) to 5.2.12 (inc)
cakephp cakephp From 5.3.0 (inc) to 5.3.5 (inc)
cakephp cakephp 5.3.6
cakephp cakephp 5.2.13
cakephp cakephp 5.1.7
cakephp cakephp 4.6.4
Helpful Resources
Exploitability
CWE
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KEV
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CWE ID Description
CWE-22 The product uses external input to construct a pathname that is intended to identify a file or directory that is located underneath a restricted parent directory, but the product does not properly neutralize special elements within the pathname that can cause the pathname to resolve to a location that is outside of the restricted directory.
CWE-98 The PHP application receives input from an upstream component, but it does not restrict or incorrectly restricts the input before its usage in "require," "include," or similar functions.
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Executive Summary

This vulnerability exists in CakePHP 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. The issue is in the View::_getElementFileName() function, which does not verify that the resolved element path is within the allowed application or plugin view template paths.

Because of this lack of path validation, an attacker can craft element names using user-supplied data to include arbitrary PHP files from the server, potentially leading to unauthorized file inclusion.

This vulnerability has been fixed in CakePHP versions 5.3.6, 5.2.13, 5.1.7, 4.6.4, and 4.5.11.

Impact Analysis

This vulnerability can allow an attacker to include arbitrary PHP files on the server by exploiting the lack of path validation in the View::_getElementFileName() function.

Such unauthorized file inclusion can lead to remote code execution, data exposure, or other malicious actions depending on the included files and server configuration.

Mitigation Strategies

To mitigate this vulnerability, upgrade CakePHP to one of the patched releases: 5.3.6, 5.2.13, 5.1.7, 4.6.4, or 4.5.11.

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