Quick answer
Direct answer
Risk scores
| CVSS metric | What it means |
|---|---|
| Attack vector (AV:N) | Network: reachable remotely |
| Attack complexity (AC:L) | Low complexity |
| Privileges required (PR:L) | Low privileges required |
| User interaction (UI:R) | A user must take an action |
| Scope (S:C) | Scope changed: impact spreads beyond the component |
| Confidentiality (C:H) | High confidentiality impact |
| Integrity (I:H) | High integrity impact |
| Availability (A:H) | High availability impact |
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
About Dokku
CVE-2026-54636 affects Dokku, a product from Dokku. Before acting, confirm where Dokku runs in your estate, who owns it and whether it is reachable from the internet, because exposure decides real risk more than the score alone.
What the flaw is
In plain terms: Dokku is a docker-powered PaaS. Prior to 0.38.7, the cron plugin utilizes commands in the app.json file to manage system cron running as the Dokku user. An app.json cron command utilizing special shell characters - including, but not limited to, > or ; - can break out of the Docker container and execute commands on the host as the Dokku user. This vulnerability is fixed in 0.38.7.
The weakness class is OS Command Injection. Untrusted input is passed to the operating system shell, letting an attacker run commands.
Based on its CVSS vector, the flaw can be reached over the network, needs some level of access, and relies on a user taking an action. Apply the vendor fix and confirm exposure on internet facing and business critical assets first.
Affected versions and timeline
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Product | Dokku |
| Affected versions | Dokku before 0.38.7 |
| Published | Jun 26, 2026 |
| Last modified | Jun 29, 2026 |
| Added to CISA KEV | Not listed |
| Assigning CNA | security-advisories@github.com |
How to detect it
- Inventory every instance of Dokku and record the running version against the affected range above.
- Check external attack surface scans for internet facing instances of the component.
- Review logs on affected systems for unusual requests, errors or new processes around the vulnerable function.
- Confirm with an authenticated vulnerability scan once your scanner has a check for this CVE.
How to fix it
- Apply the fixed version of Dokku named in the vendor advisory.
- If patching must wait, restrict network access to the affected service and put it behind authentication or a web application firewall rule.
- Rescan after the change to prove the exposure is gone, then close the ticket.
CTEM action plan
| CTEM stage | What to do for this CVE |
|---|---|
| Scope | Add every business service that depends on Dokku to the current CTEM cycle. |
| Discover | Find all instances, including shadow and cloud deployments, and record versions and exposure. |
| Prioritize | Rank using EPSS and CVSS together with asset exposure and business impact. |
| Validate | Confirm the flaw is reachable and exploitable in your environment and that compensating controls work. |
| Mobilize | Assign the fix to the asset owner with a due date matched to the priority, then verify closure. |
CWE References
- CWE-78: OS Command Injection More CVEs with this weakness
Technical References
Frequently asked questions
Related CVEs
Dokku is a docker-powered PaaS. Prior to 0.38.2, the openresty-vhosts plugin copies files from an app's openresty/http-includes/ git repository directory to the host and then interpolates their filenames, unescaped, into a single-quoted shell string that is later parsed by eval. A filename containing a single quote breaks the quoting and allows command substitution to execute arbitrary commands on the host as the dokku user during the app's next deploy. This vulnerability is fixed in 0.38.2.
Dokku is a docker-powered PaaS. Prior to 0.38.2, the git:from-archive and certs:add commands extract user-supplied tar/zip archives into temporary directories without sanitizing member paths or preventing symlink traversal. GNU tar creates symlinks during extraction and follows them for subsequent entries, allowing an attacker to write arbitrary files anywhere writable by the dokku user — including overwriting ~/.ssh/authorized_keys to gain unrestricted shell access. This vulnerability is fixed in 0.38.2.
WeGIA is a web manager for charitable institutions. Prior to version 3.6.5, a critical Remote Code Execution (RCE) vulnerability exists in the WeGIA application's database restoration functionality. An attacker with administrative access (which can be obtained via the previously reported Authentication Bypass) can execute arbitrary OS commands on the server by uploading a backup file with a specifically crafted filename. Version 3.6.5 fixes the issue.
PDF Export Module used in DHTMLX's products Gantt and Scheduler is vulnerable to Remote Code Execution due to lack of "data" parameter sanitization. An unauthenticated attacker can inject the malicious JavaScript code to the parameter whose value is processed by Node.js and subsequently executed. This can lead to server compromise. This issue was fixed in PDF Export Module version 0.7.6.
TinyWeb is a web server (HTTP, HTTPS) written in Delphi for Win32. TinyWeb HTTP Server before version 1.98 is vulnerable to OS command injection via CGI ISINDEX-style query parameters. The query parameters are passed as command-line arguments to the CGI executable via Windows CreateProcess(). An unauthenticated remote attacker can execute arbitrary commands on the server by injecting Windows shell metacharacters into HTTP requests. This vulnerability is fixed in 1.98.
TinyWeb is a web server (HTTP, HTTPS) written in Delphi for Win32. A vulnerability in versions prior to 2.01 allows unauthenticated remote attackers to bypass the web server's CGI parameter security controls. Depending on the server configuration and the specific CGI executable in use, the impact is either source code disclosure or remote code execution (RCE). Anyone hosting CGI scripts (particularly interpreted languages like PHP) using vulnerable versions of TinyWeb is impacted. The problem has been patched in version 2.01. If upgrading is not immediately possible, ensure `STRICT_CGI_PARAMS` is enabled (it is defined by default in `define.inc`) and/or do not use CGI executables that natively accept dangerous command-line flags (such as `php-cgi.exe`). If hosting PHP, consider placing the server behind a Web Application Firewall (WAF) that explicitly blocks URL query string parameters that begin with a hyphen (`-`) or contain encoded double quotes (`%22`).
Earn your free CTEM certification.
Learn to scope, prioritize, validate and mobilize fixes for CVEs like CVE-2026-54636 with a free CTEM certification.
Beginner / Practitioner / Program Leader
Explore certifications