Arbitrary file upload in Studio-42 Elfinder

CVE-2026-81891

elFinder is an open-source file manager for web, written in JavaScript using jQuery UI. Prior to 2.1.70, checkExtractItems() in php/elFinderVolumeDriver.class.php calls mimetypeInternalDetect() without passing the result through mimeTypeNormalize(). Because the .phtml, .phar, .php5, and .php3 extensions are absent from mime.types, the staticMimeMap entries that map them to text/x-php are not applied, and allowPutMime() permits extraction even when uploadDeny blocks text/x-php. An attacker with ZIP upload permission can extract PHP-executable files into a web-accessible files/ directory and achieve remote code execution when the server executes those extensions. This issue is fixed in version 2.1.70.

Vulnerability class: Unrestricted File Upload

CVSS v3 metric

CVSS v3 base score 8.1 (High). Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H.

Affected products

Weakness classification (CWE)

References

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2026-81891?
CVE-2026-81891 is a high-severity vulnerability in Studio-42 Elfinder, classified under Unrestricted Upload of File with Dangerous Type. CVSS score: 8.1/10. Published 2026-08-31.
How severe is CVE-2026-81891?
High severity. CVSS v3 base score is 8.1 out of 10.