VULNpocalypse

CVE-2026-26980: Ghost has a SQL Injection in its Content API

Advisory generated from the CVE record, CISA, Exploit Observer and VEDAS: what it is, whether it is exploited, who is affected, and how to fix and detect it.

Generated by VEDAS. Scores as of 2026-11-01 19:19 UTC. Rebuilt every few hours from cve-scores, CISA KEV and vedas-signatures. How this works and its limits.

What it is

Ghost is a Node.js content management system. Versions 3.24.0 through 6.19.0 allow unauthenticated attackers to perform arbitrary reads from the database. This issue has been fixed in version 6.19.1.

Description quoted from the CVE record (assigned by GitHub_M, published 2026-02-20).

Weakness: CWE-89: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command (‘SQL Injection’)

How it can be exploited

Exploitable over the network with low attack complexity needing no privileges and no user interaction. Impact: confidentiality high, integrity high, availability low. CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:L

CISA assessment (SSVC): CISA has no evidence of exploitation. Automatable: yes. Technical impact: total.

Public exploit evidence (Exploit Observer)

Also known as: BDU:2026-08140, EDB-52555, EUVD-2026-8400, GHSA-w52v-v783-gw97

VEDAS cluster: VEDAS:CIRCUITCOUNT

Exploit Observer links 15 pieces of public exploit code or detection modules that name this CVE or one of its aliases.

Exploit code and modules (15)

Code that names this CVE. A repository can be a working exploit, a scanner, a fake or malware; read it before running anything.

Research and write-ups (2)

Vulnerability databases and vendor advisories (5)

Catalogue entries, not exploit evidence.

6 more references returned by Exploit Observer did not name this CVE or an alias, so they are left out.

VEDAS data as of 2026-11-01T17:12 UTC; fetched 2026-11-02.

Live scores

EPSS
0.711
very likely to be attacked soon
VEDAS
0.989
strong exploit evidence
On CISA KEV
Not listed
Detection rule
Nuclei · Suricata

Who is affected

ProductAffectedNot affected
TryGhost Ghostversion >= 3.24.0, < 6.19.1Not stated

Version ranges exactly as the CVE record states them. “Before X” means X is the first fixed version.

Exploit Observer also maps it to: ghost ghost, ghost_foundation ghost, npm ghost.

How to fix it

No fixed version or vendor advisory is listed in the CVE record yet. Watch the vendor’s security page.

How to detect it

Nuclei template (active check)

Ghost - SQL Injection

Ghost is a Node.js content management system. Versions 3.24.0 through 6.19.0 allow unauthenticated attackers to perform arbitrary reads from the database.

Name and description quoted from the template, written by VEDAS.

The template sends 4 requests (GET /, GET /ghost/api/content/tags/?key={{api_key}}&filter=slug:-null, GET /ghost/api/content/tags/?key={{api_key}}&filter=slug:[, GET /ghost/api/content/tags/?key={{api_key}}&filter=slug:[); it decides using dsl, json, regex matchers. Severity in the template: critical. Marked as not yet verified against a live vulnerable target.

Run it against a host you own or are authorised to test:

bash
nuclei -u https://your-host -t CVE-2026-26980.yaml
Show the template (64 lines)
yaml
id: CVE-2026-26980

info:
  name: Ghost - SQL Injection
  author: vedas-arpsyndicate
  severity: critical
  description: |
    Ghost is a Node.js content management system. Versions 3.24.0 through 6.19.0 allow unauthenticated attackers
    to perform arbitrary reads from the database.
  reference:
    - https://www.exploit.observer/?keyword=CVE-2026-26980&match=exact
    - https://subdomain.center/?engine=ammonites&keyword=ghost&match=exact
  classification:
    cvss-metrics: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:L
    cvss-score: 9.4
    cve-id: CVE-2026-26980
    cwe-id: CWE-89
  metadata:
    verified: false
  tags: cve,cve2026,ghost,ghostcms,sqli,vuln,vkev
flow: |
  http(1) && http(2) && http(3)

http:
  - id: extract-api-key
    method: GET
    path:
      - "{{BaseURL}}"

    host-redirects: true
    max-redirects: 2

    extractors:
      - type: regex
        name: api_key
        part: body
        group: 1
        regex:
          - 'data-key="([a-f0-9]{20,})"'
        internal: true

  - id: extract-first-slug
    method: GET
    path:
      - "{{BaseURL}}/ghost/api/content/tags/?key={{api_key}}&filter=slug:-null"

    extractors:
      - type: json
        part: body
        name: first_slug
        json:
          - '.tags[0].slug'
        internal: true

  - id: check-sqli
    method: GET
    path:
      - "{{BaseURL}}/ghost/api/content/tags/?key={{api_key}}&filter=slug:['||CASE WHEN 1=1 THEN 0 ELSE EXP(710) END||',{{first_slug}}]"
      - "{{BaseURL}}/ghost/api/content/tags/?key={{api_key}}&filter=slug:['||CASE WHEN 1=0 THEN 0 ELSE EXP(710) END||',{{first_slug}}]"

    matchers:
      - type: dsl
        dsl:
          - "len(body_1) != len(body_2)"

CVE-2026-26980.yaml on GitHub

Suricata rules (network detection)

1 rule that alert on traffic matching this exploit: VEDAS CVE-2026-26980 Ghost - SQL Injection. Add them to your Suricata rule set and reload.

Show the rules
suricata
alert http $EXTERNAL_NET any -> $HTTP_SERVERS $HTTP_PORTS (msg:"VEDAS CVE-2026-26980 Ghost - SQL Injection"; flow:established,to_server; http.uri; content:"content"; nocase; content:"'"; nocase; fast_pattern; classtype:web-application-attack; reference:cve,CVE-2026-26980; reference:url,https://www.exploit.observer/?keyword=CVE-2026-26980&match=exact; reference:url,https://subdomain.center/?engine=ammonites&keyword=ghost&match=exact; sid:1011573; rev:1;)

CVE-2026-26980.rules on GitHub

Advisories on this CVE

References

Exploits and technical analysis

Other references

Other databases

Where this comes from

This advisory is generated automatically by VEDAS from: CVE.org record, cve-scores (EPSS and VEDAS), Exploit Observer, vedas-signatures. Text in quotes is reproduced from the source; everything else is a fixed template filled with source fields. Nothing here is written by a language model. Check the vendor advisory before acting, and read how VEDAS and Exploit Observer work, and their limits.