CVE-2026-22596: Ghost CMS SQL Injection Vulnerability

CVE-2026-22596 Overview

CVE-2026-22596 is a SQL Injection vulnerability affecting Ghost, a popular Node.js content management system. The vulnerability exists in the /ghost/api/admin/members/events endpoint, which allows authenticated users with Admin API credentials to execute arbitrary SQL queries against the underlying database. This flaw could enable an attacker with compromised admin credentials to read, modify, or delete sensitive data stored in the Ghost CMS database.

Critical Impact

Authenticated attackers can execute arbitrary SQL commands, potentially leading to data exfiltration, data manipulation, or complete database compromise.

Affected Products

• Ghost CMS versions 5.90.0 through 5.130.5
• Ghost CMS versions 6.0.0 through 6.10.3

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-01-10 - CVE CVE-2026-22596 published to NVD
• 2026-01-13 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2026-22596

Vulnerability Analysis

This SQL Injection vulnerability (CWE-89) stems from improper neutralization of special elements used in SQL commands within the Ghost CMS Admin API. The vulnerable endpoint /ghost/api/admin/members/events fails to properly sanitize user-supplied input before incorporating it into database queries. While the attack requires high-privilege authentication (Admin API credentials), successful exploitation could result in significant damage to data confidentiality and integrity.

The vulnerability affects both major version branches of Ghost CMS—the 5.x series (versions 5.90.0 to 5.130.5) and the 6.x series (versions 6.0.0 to 6.10.3). Organizations running Ghost instances within these version ranges should prioritize patching.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability is insufficient input validation and parameterization in the members events API endpoint. User-controllable input is directly concatenated into SQL queries rather than using parameterized queries or prepared statements, allowing an attacker to inject malicious SQL syntax that alters the intended query logic.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is network-based and requires an attacker to possess valid Admin API authentication credentials. The attacker would craft malicious requests to the /ghost/api/admin/members/events endpoint containing SQL injection payloads. These payloads could be designed to:

• Extract sensitive data from the database (such as user credentials, email addresses, or content)
• Modify or delete existing records
• Potentially escalate access depending on database configuration

The exploitation mechanism involves sending specially crafted HTTP requests to the vulnerable endpoint. The malicious input bypasses input validation and is executed as part of the SQL query. For technical details on the vulnerability and patches, refer to the GitHub Security Advisory.

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-22596

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual or malformed requests to the /ghost/api/admin/members/events endpoint containing SQL syntax characters (e.g., single quotes, semicolons, UNION statements)
• Database query logs showing unexpected or anomalous SQL statements originating from the Ghost application
• Unexpected data modifications or deletions in the Ghost CMS database
• Admin API authentication attempts from unfamiliar IP addresses or at unusual times

Detection Strategies

• Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect SQL injection patterns in requests to Ghost Admin API endpoints
• Enable detailed logging for the Ghost Admin API and monitor for requests containing SQL injection signatures
• Deploy database activity monitoring to detect anomalous query patterns or unauthorized data access
• Use SentinelOne Singularity XDR to monitor for suspicious process behavior and network activity on Ghost CMS hosts

Monitoring Recommendations

• Configure alerting for any requests to /ghost/api/admin/members/events containing suspicious characters or patterns
• Monitor database logs for queries with unusual structure or unexpected data access patterns
• Review Admin API access logs regularly to identify potential credential compromise
• Implement rate limiting on Admin API endpoints to detect and slow automated exploitation attempts

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-22596

Immediate Actions Required

• Upgrade Ghost CMS to version 5.130.6 or 6.11.0 immediately to patch the vulnerability
• Review Admin API access logs for any suspicious activity that may indicate prior exploitation
• Rotate Admin API credentials as a precautionary measure
• Restrict network access to the Ghost Admin API to trusted IP addresses where possible

Patch Information

The Ghost development team has released patches addressing this vulnerability in versions 5.130.6 and 6.11.0. The fixes implement proper input sanitization and parameterized queries for the affected endpoint. Detailed patch commits are available:

• Patch Commit for 5.x branch
• Patch Commit for 6.x branch

For additional details, see the GitHub Security Advisory (GHSA-gjrp-xgmh-x9qq).

Workarounds

• If immediate patching is not possible, consider temporarily disabling or restricting access to the /ghost/api/admin/members/events endpoint
• Deploy a WAF rule to block requests containing SQL injection patterns targeting the Admin API
• Implement strict IP allowlisting for Admin API access to limit potential attack surface
• Monitor all Admin API activity closely until the patch can be applied

# Example: Restrict Admin API access using nginx
location /ghost/api/admin/ {
    allow 10.0.0.0/8;      # Allow internal network
    allow 192.168.1.0/24;  # Allow specific subnet
    deny all;              # Deny all other access
}