CVE intelligence and bounded remediation
CVE-2026-40520 — Freepbx Api security vulnerability
FreePBX api module version 17.0.8 and prior contain a command injection vulnerability in the initiateGqlAPIProcess() function where GraphQL mutation input fields are passed directly to shell_exec() without sanitization or escaping. An authenticated user with a valid bearer token can send a GraphQL moduleOperations mutation with backtick-wrapped commands in the module field to execute arbitrary commands on the underlying host as the web server user.
- Severity
- High
- CVSS
- 8.8 (3.1)
- Published
- 2026-04-21
- CISA KEV
- Not currently listed
- Ecosystem
- software/application
- Weaknesses
- CWE-78
Affected products
- freepbx / api
Matched remediation archetype
Command, code, expression, and template injection
This catalog composition supplies bounded fallback guidance. Explicitly reviewed curated workflows load with the complete record below.
Check exposure
- Trace untrusted values to process execution, interpreters, evaluators, template engines, dynamic imports, and administrative scripting features.
- Determine whether the affected path is reachable across each trust boundary and which service account or host privilege it inherits.
- Review configuration for optional execution features, unsafe compatibility modes, and shell invocation.
Remediate safely
- Replace string-built commands or evaluated code with fixed operations and structured argument APIs that do not invoke a shell.
- Use strict allowlists for operation identifiers and reject unexpected input before it reaches any interpreter.
- Update the affected component and add inert regression tests covering metacharacters, encoding variants, and alternate request paths.
Authoritative sources
Complete CVE record and remediation plan
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