Detections
Analytics

CVE-2026-96656

high

Description

Plex Media Server before 1.43.3.10861 allows an admin user to write arbitrary files that may be executed on load. The preference TranscoderH264Options is appended verbatim to x264's option string on every transcode. At startup, all .so files are run without signature, execute bit, or symbol checks.

References

https://zmain.info/blog/plex2shell

https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-96656

https://www.boredhackerblog.info/2026/10/plex-vulnerabilities-being-exploited-in.html

https://raw.githubusercontent.com/cisagov/CSAF/develop/csaf_files/IT/white/2026/va-26-266-01.json

https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/alerts/2026/10/20/cisa-adds-six-known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog

https://www.securityweek.com/plex2shell-exploit-chain-weaponized-against-plex-servers-hours-after-disclosure/

https://thehackernews.com/2026/10/hackers-exploit-plex2shell-flaws-to.html

https://github.com/a3igner/plex-codec-cache-implant

https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2026-96656

https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-media-server/30447/711

https://euvd.enisa.europa.eu/vulnerability/EUVD-2026-85370

Details

Source: Mitre, NVD

Published: 2026-09-23

Updated: 2026-10-21

Named Vulnerability: Plex2ShellKnown Exploited Vulnerability (KEV)

Risk Information

CVSS v2

Base Score: 8.3

Vector: CVSS2#AV:N/AC:L/Au:M/C:C/I:C/A:C

Severity: High

CVSS v3

Base Score: 7.2

Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Severity: High

CVSS v4

Base Score: 8.6

Vector: CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:H/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N

Severity: High

EPSS

EPSS: 0.01785

Vulnerability Watch

Tenable Research has classified this CVE under the following Vulnerability Watch classification, which includes active and historical (inactive) classifications. You can learn more about these classifications on our blog.

Vulnerability of Interest