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High

Security advisory

Type: advisorySources: OSVCVE: CVE-2021-44981

In QuickBox Pro v2.5.8 and below, the config.php file has a variable which takes a GET parameter value and parses it into a shell_exec(''); function without properly sanitizing any shell arguments, therefore remote code execution is possible. Additionally, as the media server is running as root by default attackers can use the sudo command within this shell_exec(''); function, which allows for privilege escalation by means of RCE.

Products
Not specified
Affected versions
Not specified
Fixed versions
Not specified
CVEs
CVE-2021-44981
Confirmed fixed CVEs
Not specified
Updated in this feed
31 Oct 2026, 12:02 UTC · Revision 1

Source evidence

CVE-2021-44981

core-osv · Original source

Published 24 Jan 2022, 13:15 UTC

In QuickBox Pro v2.5.8 and below, the config.php file has a variable which takes a GET parameter value and parses it into a shell_exec(''); function without properly sanitizing any shell arguments, therefore remote code execution is possible. Additionally, as the media server is running as root by default attackers can use the sudo command within this shell_exec(''); function, which allows for privilege escalation by means of RCE.

osv:CVE-2021-44981
Complete source record
{
  "id": "fc11702b3a8df667071d5823b14b153decbb20ca70814c2691efac58a3fe20b7",
  "url": "https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2021-44981",
  "method": "structured",
  "payload": {
    "kind": "advisory",
    "title": "CVE-2021-44981",
    "summary": "In QuickBox Pro v2.5.8 and below, the config.php file has a variable which takes a GET parameter value and parses it into a shell_exec(''); function without properly sanitizing any shell arguments, therefore remote code execution is possible. Additionally, as the media server is running as root by default attackers can use the sudo command within this shell_exec(''); function, which allows for privilege escalation by means of RCE.",
    "evidence": "osv:CVE-2021-44981",
    "products": [],
    "severity": "high",
    "structured": {
      "id": "CVE-2021-44981",
      "aliases": [
        "CVE-2021-44981"
      ],
      "metrics": [
        {
          "type": "CVSS_V3",
          "score": "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H"
        }
      ],
      "affected": [
        {
          "ranges": [
            {
              "repo": "https://github.com/quickbox/qb",
              "type": "GIT",
              "events": [
                {
                  "introduced": "0"
                },
                {
                  "last_affected": "3f4b2839b8a8cb7c3f17eaa3c59650f21516840b"
                }
              ],
              "database_specific": {
                "extracted_events": [
                  {
                    "cpe": "cpe:2.3:a:quickbox:quickbox:*:*:*:*:community:*:*:*",
                    "range": [
                      {
                        "introduced": "0"
                      },
                      {
                        "last_affected": "2.5.8"
                      }
                    ],
                    "source": "CPE_RANGE"
                  },
                  {
                    "cpe": "cpe:2.3:a:quickbox:quickbox:*:*:*:*:pro:*:*:*",
                    "range": [
                      {
                        "introduced": "0"
                      },
                      {
                        "last_affected": "2.5.8"
                      }
                    ],
                    "source": "CPE_RANGE"
                  }
                ]
              }
            }
          ],
          "versions": [
            "v2.5.8",
            "v2.5.7",
            "v2.5.6",
            "v2.5.5",
            "v2.5.1",
            "v2.5.0",
            "v2.4.9"
          ],
          "database_specific": {
            "source": "https://storage.googleapis.com/cve-osv-conversion/osv-output/CVE-2021-44981.json"
          }
        }
      ],
      "modified": "2026-10-20T10:55:07.321295588Z",
      "provider": "osv",
      "references": [
        "https://github.com/QuickBox/QB/issues/202",
        "https://websec.nl/blog/61b2b37a43a1155c848f3b08/websec%20finds%20critical%20vulnerabilities%20in%20popular%20media%20server"
      ],
      "provider_metadata": {}
    },
    "related_cves": [
      {
        "value": "CVE-2021-44981",
        "evidence": "/id"
      }
    ],
    "security_relevant": true,
    "severity_evidence": "/severity/0/score"
  },
  "source_id": "core-osv",
  "document_id": 386926,
  "published_at": "2022-01-24T13:15:08.177+00:00"
}