Review reviewCritical

CVE-2026-16337

dotCMS

Improper authorization in the ToolGroupResource and RoleAjax REST/DWR endpoints in dotCMS dotCMS 21.02 through 26.06.22-03 on all platforms allows a low-privileged authenticated backend user to self-assign the administrative layout and self-grant the CMS Administrator role, then achieve remote code execution via a crafted OSGi bundle upload whose BundleActivator executes arbitrary shell commands.

CVSS
9.4
EPSS
0.40%
32.8% percentile
CISA KEV
Not listed
Published
2026.07.21
PRIORITY ASSESSMENT

Review review

The CVSS severity warrants an early asset and exposure review.

Known exploitationNot established by KEV
Exploit probability0.40%
Technical severityCVSS 9.4

Vulnerability overview

Improper authorization in the ToolGroupResource and RoleAjax REST/DWR endpoints in dotCMS dotCMS 21.02 through 26.06.22-03 on all platforms allows a low-privileged authenticated backend user to self-assign the administrative layout and self-grant the CMS Administrator role, then achieve remote code execution via a crafted OSGi bundle upload whose BundleActivator executes arbitrary shell commands.

Affected product and versions

Product
dotCMS
Affected versions
>= 21.02 <= 26.06.22-03
Fixed versions
No verified fixed-version field is available yet

Recommended response sequence

Confirm exposure before applying a vendor-supported change.

Full remediation guide
  1. 1
    Identify

    Confirm that dotCMS and an affected version are present.

  2. 2
    Prioritize

    Combine exploitation signals with asset exposure and business criticality.

  3. 3
    Remediate

    Follow the vendor advisory or supported update path and preserve rollback options.

  4. 4
    Verify

    Recheck the version, service health, access paths, and relevant logs.

Technical data

CVSS vector
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:H/SI:H/SA:H/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
CWE
CWE-269
CVE-2026-16337 — dotCMS | SECUFOCUS NOW