Security advisory
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
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"
}