CVE-2018-12596: Episerver Ektron CMS before 9.0 SP3 Site CU 31, 9.1 before SP3 Site CU 45, or 9.2 before SP2 Site CU 22 allows

This week

CRITICAL 9.8REMOTEDOWNGRADE

CVE-2018-12596 is a critical-severity flaw (CVSS 9.8) affecting ektron cms. Below: why it ranks where it does, which versions are affected, what to do, and the exact commands.

Episerver Ektron CMS before 9.0 SP3 Site CU 31, 9.1 before SP3 Site CU 45, or 9.2 before SP2 Site CU 22 allows remote attackers to call aspx pages via the "activateuser.aspx" page, even if a page is located under the /WorkArea/ path, which is forbidden (normally available exclusively for local admins).

Why this priority

Critical severity
EPSS top 2%: very likely to be exploited
Public exploit reference
Remotely exploitable, no login, no user action

No fix is published yet: follow the downgrade or mitigation steps.

Risk facts

CVSS score	9.8 (Critical)
Attack vector	Network (remote)
Attack complexity	Low
Privileges needed	None
User interaction	None
EPSS exploit chance	22.4% (top 2%)
CISA exploited list	No
Weakness	CWE-269
Published	2018-10-10
Last modified	2026-06-17

Publisher (CNA): MITRE · Vendor: episerver

Last updated 2026-06-17 · Sources: CVE Program, NVD, CISA KEV, EPSS and vendor advisories · How we score

Am I affected?

Timeline

2018-10-10 21:29 UTCPublished CVE record published
2026-06-17 01:38 UTCUpdated Record last modified

episerver ektron cms DOWNGRADE

Affected: 9.00 · 9.00 sp1 · 9.00 sp2 · 9.10 · 9.10 sp1 · 9.10 sp2 · 9.20 · 9.20 sp1

Fixed in: no fixed release known

Safe to downgrade to: a release before 9.00

1. Check installed version

apt-cache policy ektron-cms || rpm -q ektron-cms || ektron-cms --version

2. No fixed release: DOWNGRADE to a release before 9.00 (Debian / Ubuntu)

apt-cache madison ektron-cms sudo apt install ektron-cms=<VERSION_BEFORE_9.00> sudo apt-mark hold ektron-cms

2. No fixed release: DOWNGRADE (RHEL / Amazon Linux / Fedora)

dnf --showduplicates list ektron-cms sudo dnf downgrade ektron-cms-<VERSION_BEFORE_9.00> sudo dnf versionlock add ektron-cms

Downgrade risk

Downgrading can break dependent software and may reopen older bugs. Read the distro advisory first and test on a non-production host.

After downgrade

Restart the service, and keep the package held until a fixed release ships.

Public exploits and detection

Public code exists for this CVE. Treat unpatched systems as at risk, and only run PoCs in a lab.

Exploit-DB: Ektron CMS 9.20 SP2 - Improper Access Restrictions

Verify at the official source NVD · CVE Program · Report a problem with this page
Scores and fixes here are computed automatically from those and other public sources. Confirm with the vendor advisory before changing production systems.

Quick answers

How do I fix CVE-2018-12596?

ektron cms: downgrade or apply the listed mitigation. Exact commands for each OS are on this page.

Is CVE-2018-12596 being exploited?

CVE-2018-12596 is not on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities list at the time of the last update. Check again, as this can change.

What does CVE-2018-12596 affect?

CVE-2018-12596 affects ektron cms. Severity is critical (CVSS 9.8). Episerver Ektron CMS before 9.0 SP3 Site CU 31, 9.1 before SP3 Site CU 45, or 9.2 before SP2 Site CU 22 allows remote attackers to call aspx pages via the "activateuser.aspx" page, even if a page is located under the /WorkArea/ path, which

How urgent is CVE-2018-12596?

Priority 69/100. Critical severity; EPSS top 2%: very likely to be exploited; Public exploit reference; Remotely exploitable, no login, no user action

References

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