CISA adds exploited LiteSpeed cPanel plugin zero-day CVE-2026-48172 to KEV and urges immediate removal or patching

CISA says a critical bug in the LiteSpeed user-end plugin for cPanel is being actively exploited and can give attackers root-level control of affected servers. The flaw, CVE-2026-48172, is a 9.8-severity privilege-escalation vulnerability affecting user-end plugin versions 2.3 through 2.4.4; LiteSpeed fixed it in version 2.4.5, later bundled in WHM Plugin 5.3.1.0 with user-end plugin 2.4.7, while cPanel also removed the vulnerable plugin via a nightly update on May 19.
Why it matters: Organizations running cPanel with the LiteSpeed user-end plugin could be exposed to full server compromise, so this is an update-now or remove-now situation. Admins should upgrade immediately, remove the plugin if they cannot patch, and review logs and suspicious IP activity for signs of exploitation.

Sources

CISA Flags LiteSpeed cPanel Plugin Flaw Exploited for Root Privilege Escalation
info@thehackernews.com (The Hacker News) 2026.06.16 99% relevant
This article appears to cover the same underlying event: CISA flagging active exploitation of the LiteSpeed user-end plugin for cPanel flaw CVE-2026-48172 and urging defenders to patch or remove the affected plugin because attackers can gain root privileges.
CISA gives feds 4 days to patch actively exploited cPanel plugin flaw
Sergiu Gatlan 2026.05.27 98% relevant
This article covers the same underlying event—active exploitation of LiteSpeed cPanel plugin flaw CVE-2026-48172 and CISA's KEV action—and adds the concrete BOD 22-01 deadline giving U.S. federal agencies four days, until May 29, 2026, to patch or discontinue use.
CISA Urges Immediate Patching of Exploited LiteSpeed cPanel Plugin Zero-Day
Ionut Arghire 2026.05.27 100% relevant
This article establishes a new tracked story centered on CVE-2026-48172: an actively exploited LiteSpeed cPanel plugin zero-day, its vendor fix, cPanel mitigation, and CISA KEV listing.
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