CVE-2026-87886: Acronis Backup plugins for cPanel/WHM, Plesk, DirectAdmin: local root (perms)

Exploited in the wild High 7.8 EPSS 0.2% cPanel & WHM

Insecure default file permissions in the Acronis Backup plugin for cPanel & WHM, the Acronis Backup extension for Plesk and the Acronis Backup plugin for DirectAdmin (all Linux) let a local low-privileged user escalate privileges (CVSS 7.8). On shared hosting servers this means any hosting account that can run code could take over the server. Acronis reports limited, targeted in-the-wild exploitation against cPanel & WHM deployments, and CISA added it to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2026-09-16.

CVE-2026-87886CVE identifier
7.8CVSS 3.0 base score (high)
2026-09-16added to CISA's exploited list (US federal deadline 2026-09-19)
0.2%EPSS: chance of exploitation in the next 30 days (higher than 14% of CVEs)
2026-09-17published

What do these terms mean? CVE · CVSS score · exploited (KEV) · EPSS · backported fix · all terms

What to do now

Check whether you run cPanel & WHM and which version (commands below).
Install the fixed version for your system: see “Patch it” below.
sudo /scripts/upcp --force updates cPanel and restarts its services; OS packages still come from dnf/apt
Because this flaw is being exploited, also check the server for signs of compromise.

Affected and fixed versions

Affected:

Acronis Backup plugin for cPanel & WHM (Linux) before build 1.9.3.1021
Acronis Backup extension for Plesk (Linux) before build 1.8.11.638
Acronis Backup plugin for DirectAdmin (Linux) before build 1.2.3.238

Fixed in:

Acronis Backup plugin for cPanel & WHM build 1.9.3.1021
Acronis Backup extension for Plesk build 1.8.11.638
Acronis Backup plugin for DirectAdmin build 1.2.3.238

Patch it

Use the commands for your system. Distribution packages often keep an older version number with the fix backported, so compare with the fixed package versions in the table below, not only with the upstream version.

Debian

not in distro repos: /scripts/upcp

Ubuntu

not in distro repos: /scripts/upcp

RHEL, AlmaLinux, Rocky, Oracle

not in distro repos: /scripts/upcp

Fedora

not supported

SUSE / openSUSE

not supported

Amazon Linux

not supported

Arch Linux

not supported

Alpine

not supported

FreeBSD

not supported

General update steps for every system are on the Linux and Unix & BSD pages; after updating, see which services to restart.

CISA required action: Apply mitigations in accordance with vendor instructions, ensuring compliance with CISA’s BOD 26-04 Prioritizing Security Updates Based on Risk (see URL in Notes) guidance and CISA’s “Forensics Triage Requirements” (see URL in Notes). Follow applicable BOD 26-04 guidance for cloud services or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable. Stakeholders are responsible for evaluating each asset's internet exposure and ensuring adherence to BOD 26-04 patching guidelines.

https://security-advisory.acronis.com/advisories/SEC-10986 ; BOD 26-04: https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/directives/bod-26-04-prioritizing-security-updates-based-risk ; Forensics Triage Requirements: https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/directives/bod-26-04-implementation-guidance-prioritizing-security-updates-based-risk ; https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-87886

Sources

Page generated automatically from official sources on 2026-11-03 18:05 UTC and reviewed by an editor. Always confirm with your vendor's advisory.