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CVE-2026-96656

HIGH 8.6 KNOWN EXPLOITED PoC CATALOGUED

Published 2026-09-23 · Last modified 2026-10-21

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.

ACTIVELY EXPLOITED

Confirmed exploited in the wild — in CISA KEV since 2026-10-20. Patch or mitigate now.

Exploitation likelihood

1.8%chance of exploitation in 30 days · 78th percentile

● In CISA KEV (2026-10-20) ● Catalogued PoC

Impact if exploited

8.6CVSS 4.0 · HIGH

  • ConfidentialityHigh
  • IntegrityHigh
  • AvailabilityHigh

What an attacker needs

  • ✓Access: Reachable over the network — no local access needed
  • ⚠Privileges: Requires an admin / high-privilege account
  • ✓User interaction: No user interaction needed
  • ✓Complexity: No special conditions — reliably repeatable
  • ✓Requirements: No special attack requirements

✓ lowers the bar for an attacker · ⚠ raises it

Proof of concept

Public PoC or exploit resources are catalogued below.

Listed by the named source; Vulnpedia has not tested these resources.

PoC data: JSON

Resource commands

curl -s https://vulnpedia.com/cve/CVE-2026-96656/poc.jsonMachine-readable PoC index for this CVE (for automation).

Search for new PoCs

Search GitHub now — results may be empty or unverified.

Tracked sources are checked daily for recent CVEs, including PoCs published after the original disclosure. A later release appears after a tracked source lists it and a refresh succeeds.

Data snapshot:

Affected

Vendors Plex

Products Media Server

Weakness (CWE)

  • CWE-73: External Control of File Name or Path

CVSS 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

References and research data (JSON)

Unverified PoC candidates

Catalogue matches for further research. These repositories have not been validated as working exploits.

1 candidate

Additional exploitation reports

Source-specific reports, separate from CISA KEV. Repeated observations from one source are not independent confirmations.

  • VulnCheck KEV · 2026-10-18T00:00:00Z

    Source guidance: Apply mitigations in accordance with vendor instructions, ensuring compliance with CISA’s BOD 26-04 Prioritizing Security Updates Based on Risk (see URL in Notes) guidance and CISA’s “Forensics Triage Requirements” (see URL in Notes). Follow applicable BOD 26-04 guidance for cloud services or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable. Stakeholders are responsible for evaluating each asset's internet exposure and ensuring adherence to BOD 26-04 patching guidelines.

    Source ransomware assessment: Unknown

    VulnCheck KEV · CVE-2026-96656 · Updated 2026-10-18T00:00:00Z
  • VulnCheck KEV · 2026-10-18T00:00:00ZVulnCheck KEV · CVE-2026-96656
  • VulnCheck KEV · 2026-10-20T00:00:00ZVulnCheck KEV · CVE-2026-96656

Known Affected Software Configurations

VendorProductVersion range
PlexMedia Server< 1.43.3.10861

All CVSS metrics

  • HIGH 8.6 v4.0 · CNA Primary
    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
  • HIGH 7.2 v3.1 · CNA Primary
    CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
  • HIGH 8.6 v4.0 · NVD Secondary
    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/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X
  • HIGH 7.2 v3.1 · NVD Secondary
    CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

References

Patches & mitigations

Advisories

Technical & other

Sources: NVD · CVE.org · EPSS