CVE-2026-96656
Plex Media Server arbitrary file write
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.
INFO
Published Date :
Sept. 23, 2026, 5:17 p.m.
Last Modified :
Sept. 29, 2026, 6:34 p.m.
Remotely Exploit :
Yes !
Source :
9119a7d8-5eab-497f-8521-727c672e3725
CVSS Scores
| Score | Version | Severity | Vector | Exploitability Score | Impact Score | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS | 9119a7d8-5eab-497f-8521-727c672e3725 | |||||
| CVSS | 134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0 | |||||
| CVSS 3.1 | HIGH | MITRE-CVE | ||||
| CVSS 3.1 | HIGH | 9119a7d8-5eab-497f-8521-727c672e3725 | ||||
| CVSS 4.0 | HIGH | 9119a7d8-5eab-497f-8521-727c672e3725 |
Solution
- Update Plex Media Server to the latest version.
- Verify transcoder and startup security settings.
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-2026-96656.
| URL | Resource |
|---|---|
| https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-media-server/30447/711 | Release Notes |
| https://raw.githubusercontent.com/cisagov/CSAF/develop/csaf_files/IT/white/2026/va-26-266-01.json | Third Party Advisory |
| https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-96656 | Third Party Advisory VDB Entry |
| https://zmain.info/blog/plex2shell | Third Party Advisory |
CWE - Common Weakness Enumeration
While CVE identifies
specific instances of vulnerabilities, CWE categorizes the common flaws or
weaknesses that can lead to vulnerabilities. CVE-2026-96656 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-2026-96656
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-2026-96656 vulnerability anywhere in the article.
The following table lists the changes that have been made to the
CVE-2026-96656 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.
-
Initial Analysis by [email protected]
Sep. 29, 2026
Action Type Old Value New Value Added CPE Configuration OR *cpe:2.3:a:plex:media_server:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* versions up to (excluding) 1.43.0.10861 Added Reference Type Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) U.S. Civilian Government: https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-media-server/30447/711 Types: Release Notes Added Reference Type Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) U.S. Civilian Government: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/cisagov/CSAF/develop/csaf_files/IT/white/2026/va-26-266-01.json Types: Third Party Advisory Added Reference Type Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) U.S. Civilian Government: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-96656 Types: Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry Added Reference Type Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) U.S. Civilian Government: https://zmain.info/blog/plex2shell Types: Third Party Advisory -
New CVE Received by 9119a7d8-5eab-497f-8521-727c672e3725
Sep. 23, 2026
Action Type Old Value New Value Added 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. Added CVSS V4.0 AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:H/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/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 CVSS V3.1 AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H Added CWE CWE-73 Added Affected New affected value received. <a href="https://github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/blob/main/cves/2026/96xxx/CVE-2026-96656.json">CVE-2026-96656</a> Added Reference https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-media-server/30447/711 Added Reference https://raw.githubusercontent.com/cisagov/CSAF/develop/csaf_files/IT/white/2026/va-26-266-01.json Added Reference https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-96656 Added Reference https://zmain.info/blog/plex2shell Added SSVC {'id': 'CVE-2026-96656', 'role': 'CISA Coordinator', 'options': [{'exploitation': 'none'}, {'automatable': 'no'}, {'technicalImpact': 'total'}], 'version': '2.0.3', 'timestamp': '2026-09-14T18:24:56.053053Z'} -
CVE Modified by 134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0
Sep. 23, 2026
Action Type Old Value New Value Added SSVC {'id': 'CVE-2026-96656', 'role': 'CISA Coordinator', 'options': [{'exploitation': 'none'}, {'automatable': 'no'}, {'technicalImpact': 'total'}], 'version': '2.0.3', 'timestamp': '2026-09-23T16:35:05.105006Z'}