CVE-2026-55579 Pheditor: Hardcoded default password 'admin' with no forced change enables full application compromise
Pheditor uses a hardcoded default password allowing attackers to gain full access to file management and execute remote code.
- Exploited in the wild
- Not known
- Login needed
- Not needed
- Attackable
- Over the internet
- Victim action needed
- Not needed
- Fix
- Available
What is CVE-2026-55579?
CVE-2026-55579 is a critical vulnerability in pheditor, published on 27 Jul 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Official description
Pheditor is a single-file editor and file manager written in PHP. From version 2.0.1 to before version 2.0.6, Pheditor ships with a hardcoded default password admin (SHA-512 hash stored at pheditor.php:11). There is no mechanism to force a password change on first login. Any deployment using the default credentials grants an attacker full access to the file editor, file upload, and terminal features, enabling arbitrary file read/write and remote code execution. This issue has been patched in version 2.0.6.
Weakness: CWE-798
Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-55579?
2 open source packages ship an affected version, including pheditor/pheditor.
| Package | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
pheditor/pheditor Packagist | From 2.0.1 | 2.0.6 |
pheditor/pheditor Packagist | From 2.0.1 | 2.0.6 |
How do I fix CVE-2026-55579?
Upgrade pheditor/pheditor to 2.0.6 or later.
Is CVE-2026-55579 being exploited?
It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2026-55579 exists.
Public exploit code: 1 proofs of concept on GitHub.
Sources
Also known as GHSA-p4h7-p9rj-2pq2.