CVE-2026-16337
dotCMS Improper Authorization and Remote Code Execution
Description
Improper authorization in the ToolGroupResource and RoleAjax REST/DWR endpoints in dotCMS dotCMS 21.02 through 26.06.22-03 on all platforms allows a low-privileged authenticated backend user to self-assign the administrative layout and self-grant the CMS Administrator role, then achieve remote code execution via a crafted OSGi bundle upload whose BundleActivator executes arbitrary shell commands.
INFO
Published Date :
July 20, 2026, 8:16 p.m.
Last Modified :
July 20, 2026, 8:16 p.m.
Remotely Exploit :
Yes !
Source :
[email protected]
CVSS Scores
| Score | Version | Severity | Vector | Exploitability Score | Impact Score | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS 4.0 | CRITICAL | 5b9d93f2-25c7-46b4-ab60-d201718c9dd8 | ||||
| CVSS 4.0 | CRITICAL | [email protected] |
Solution
- Update dotCMS to a version that addresses the vulnerability.
- Review and restrict backend user roles and permissions.
- Disable OSGi bundle uploads if not required.
- Apply necessary security patches for dotCMS.
References to Advisories, Solutions, and Tools
Here, you will find a curated list of external links that provide in-depth
information, practical solutions, and valuable tools related to
CVE-2026-16337.
| URL | Resource |
|---|---|
| https://github.com/dotCMS/core/pull/36344 |
CWE - Common Weakness Enumeration
While CVE identifies
specific instances of vulnerabilities, CWE categorizes the common flaws or
weaknesses that can lead to vulnerabilities. CVE-2026-16337 is
associated with the following CWEs:
Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC)
Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification
(CAPEC)
stores attack patterns, which are descriptions of the common attributes and
approaches employed by adversaries to exploit the CVE-2026-16337
weaknesses.
We scan GitHub repositories to detect new proof-of-concept exploits. Following list is a collection of public exploits and proof-of-concepts, which have been published on GitHub (sorted by the most recently updated).
Results are limited to the first 15 repositories due to potential performance issues.
The following list is the news that have been mention
CVE-2026-16337 vulnerability anywhere in the article.
The following table lists the changes that have been made to the
CVE-2026-16337 vulnerability over time.
Vulnerability history details can be useful for understanding the evolution of a vulnerability, and for identifying the most recent changes that may impact the vulnerability's severity, exploitability, or other characteristics.
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New CVE Received by [email protected]
Jul. 20, 2026
Action Type Old Value New Value Added Affected [{'vendor': 'dotCMS', 'product': 'dotCMS', 'versions': [{'status': 'affected', 'version': '21.02', 'versionType': 'custom', 'lessThanOrEqual': '26.06.22-03'}], 'defaultStatus': 'unaffected'}] Added Description Improper authorization in the ToolGroupResource and RoleAjax REST/DWR endpoints in dotCMS dotCMS 21.02 through 26.06.22-03 on all platforms allows a low-privileged authenticated backend user to self-assign the administrative layout and self-grant the CMS Administrator role, then achieve remote code execution via a crafted OSGi bundle upload whose BundleActivator executes arbitrary shell commands. Added CVSS V4.0 AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:H/SI:H/SA:H/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X Added CWE CWE-269 Added Reference https://github.com/dotCMS/core/pull/36344