CVE-2026-53542 Termix: Tar option injection in file-manager archive creation allows command execution on managed SSH hosts
Attackers can execute arbitrary commands on managed SSH hosts by injecting tar options via file basenames in the file manager.
- Exploited in the wild
- Not known
- Login needed
- Any signed-in user
- Attackable
- Over the internet
- Victim action needed
- Not needed
- Fix
- None listed
What is CVE-2026-53542?
CVE-2026-53542 is a high-severity command injection vulnerability in Termix-SSH Termix, published on 19 Aug 2026. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Official description
Termix is a web-based server management platform with SSH terminal, tunneling, and file editing capabilities. Prior to 2.3.2, the archive creation endpoint in src/backend/ssh/file-manager.ts passes selected file basenames to tar without an end-of-options marker and without making the operands unambiguously relative. A user with access to an SSH file-manager session can select basenames beginning with GNU tar options such as --checkpoint=1 and --checkpoint-action=exec, causing tar, tar.gz, tar.bz2, or tar.xz creation to interpret those names as options. The resulting checkpoint action executes commands on the managed SSH host with the privileges of the connected SSH account, allowing file disclosure, modification, and service disruption. This issue is fixed in version 2.3.2.
Weakness: CWE-78
Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-53542?
How do I fix CVE-2026-53542?
No fix has been published for CVE-2026-53542 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.
Upgrade, and pass arguments to programs as a list instead of through a shell. More about Command injection.
Is CVE-2026-53542 being exploited?
It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2026-53542 exists.
Sources
Also known as GHSA-rwj6-6vh7-45pv.