CVE-2026-96656
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Plex Media Server Admin File Write and Code Execution

Publication date: 2026-09-23

Last updated on: 2026-09-23

Assigner: Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) U.S. Civilian Government

Description
Plex Media Server before 1.43.3.10861 allows an admin user to write arbitrary files that may be executed on load. The preference TranscoderH264Options is appended verbatim to x264's option string on every transcode. At startup, all .so files are run without signature, execute bit, or symbol checks.

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Meta Information

Published
2026-09-23
Last Modified
2026-09-23
Generated
2026-09-23
AI Q&A
2026-09-23
EPSS Evaluated
N/A
NVD
CVE-2026-96656
EUVD
EUVD-2026-85370

Affected Vendors & Products

Showing 1 associated CPE
Vendor Product Version / Range
plex media_server to 1.43.3.10861 (exc)

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Exploitability

CWE
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KEV
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CWE ID Description
CWE-73 The product allows user input to control or influence paths or file names that are used in filesystem operations.

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Executive Summary

Plex Media Server before version 1.43.3.10861 has a vulnerability where an admin user can write arbitrary files that may execute when loaded. The TranscoderH264Options preference is directly appended to x264's option string during transcoding. At startup, all .so files are executed without checks for signatures, execute permissions, or symbols.

Detection Guidance

Check Plex Media Server version with 'curl -s http://localhost:32400/status/sessions | grep version' or 'dpkg -l | grep plexmediaserver'. If version is below 1.43.3.10861, the system is vulnerable.

Impact Analysis

An attacker with admin access could exploit this to execute malicious code on the server, potentially leading to unauthorized access, data theft, or system compromise. Normal users may face risks if the server is compromised.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability could lead to unauthorized data access or exfiltration, violating GDPR's data protection requirements and HIPAA's security rules for protected health information. Organizations may face compliance penalties if exploited.

Mitigation Strategies

Update Plex Media Server to version 1.43.3.10861 or later immediately. Remove any untrusted .so files in transcoder directories and restrict admin user permissions.

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