# CVE-2026-97730: Path traversal in pfSense CE

> Authenticated attackers can execute arbitrary PHP code via path traversal in pfSense Dashboard widget settings.

- **Severity:** High 8.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 25 Sep 2026
- **Updated:** 26 Sep 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-pc4f-6357-r2v6

## What is CVE-2026-97730?

CVE-2026-97730 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in Netgate pfSense CE, published on 25 Sep 2026. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

In Netgate pfSense Plus before 26.07 and pfSense CE before 2.9.0, a Local File Inclusion (LFI) vulnerability in the Dashboard (index.php) widget sequence data handling allows an authenticated attacker to execute arbitrary PHP code. To exploit this, an attacker with privileges to modify Dashboard settings and write arbitrary files to the pfSense firewall system (e.g., /tmp/test.widget.php) can submit a crafted widget sequence value containing a path traversal payload (e.g., ../../../../../../../../../../../tmp/test). The Dashboard will subsequently read and execute the arbitrary PHP file as if it were a standard widget.

Weakness: CWE-24 (Path Traversal: '../filedir')

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-97730?


## How do I fix CVE-2026-97730?

No fix has been published for CVE-2026-97730 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2026-97730 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-97730 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-97730 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-97730 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in Netgate pfSense CE, published on 25 Sep 2026. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-97730 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Netgate pfSense CE. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-97730/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-97730/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-97730
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-97730
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-97730

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-97730/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.