Active exploitation of cPanel authentication bypass (CVE-2026-41940) by unknown actor targeting government and MSP networks
Summary
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An unknown threat actor is actively exploiting CVE-2026-41940, a critical authentication bypass vulnerability in cPanel and WHM, to compromise government, military, and MSP networks in multiple regions. The campaign has used a custom exploit chain against an Indonesian defense sector training portal via SQL injection and RCE, followed by weaponization of the cPanel flaw to gain elevated control of control panels. Activities originated from IP 95.111.250[.]175 and included the use of AdapdixC2 C2, OpenVPN, and Ligolo for persistence and lateral movement, with evidence of exfiltration of Chinese railway-sector documents. The campaign’s scope and persistence indicate a sophisticated, likely state-aligned or experienced adversary targeting high-value infrastructure.
Timeline
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04.05.2026 12:27 1 articles · 2h ago
Weaponization of cPanel authentication bypass (CVE-2026-41940) observed in multi-region government and MSP compromise campaign
Active exploitation of CVE-2026-41940 began by May 2, 2026, coinciding with public disclosure. An unknown actor deployed a custom SQLi+RCE chain against an Indonesian defense portal, then pivoted to cPanel control-panel compromise using the same origin IP (95.111.250[.]175). The threat actor used AdapdixC2, OpenVPN, Ligolo, and systemd persistence to maintain access and exfiltrate Chinese railway-sector documents. Shadowserver data indicates rapid global scanning activity peaking at 44,000 IPs on April 30, 2026, then declining to 3,540 by May 3, 2026.
Show sources
- Critical cPanel Vulnerability Weaponized to Target Government and MSP Networks — thehackernews.com — 04.05.2026 12:27
Information Snippets
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CVE-2026-41940 in cPanel and WHM enables authentication bypass and remote code execution with elevated privileges.
First reported: 04.05.2026 12:271 source, 1 articleShow sources
- Critical cPanel Vulnerability Weaponized to Target Government and MSP Networks — thehackernews.com — 04.05.2026 12:27
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Initial compromise vectors included a custom SQL injection and RCE chain targeting an Indonesian defense sector training portal, leveraging valid credentials and CAPTCHA bypass via session cookie manipulation.
First reported: 04.05.2026 12:271 source, 1 articleShow sources
- Critical cPanel Vulnerability Weaponized to Target Government and MSP Networks — thehackernews.com — 04.05.2026 12:27
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The same actor later exploited CVE-2026-41940 to gain control of cPanel instances, originating from IP 95.111.250[.]175.
First reported: 04.05.2026 12:271 source, 1 articleShow sources
- Critical cPanel Vulnerability Weaponized to Target Government and MSP Networks — thehackernews.com — 04.05.2026 12:27
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Targeted entities include government and military domains (*.mil.ph, *.ph, *.gov.la) and MSPs/hosting providers in the Philippines, Laos, Canada, South Africa, and the U.S.
First reported: 04.05.2026 12:271 source, 1 articleShow sources
- Critical cPanel Vulnerability Weaponized to Target Government and MSP Networks — thehackernews.com — 04.05.2026 12:27
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Compromise chains used AdapdixC2 C2 framework, OpenVPN for persistent tunnels, Ligolo for network pivoting, and systemd-based persistence mechanisms.
First reported: 04.05.2026 12:271 source, 1 articleShow sources
- Critical cPanel Vulnerability Weaponized to Target Government and MSP Networks — thehackernews.com — 04.05.2026 12:27
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Evidence shows lateral movement and exfiltration of Chinese railway-sector documents from victim environments.
First reported: 04.05.2026 12:271 source, 1 articleShow sources
- Critical cPanel Vulnerability Weaponized to Target Government and MSP Networks — thehackernews.com — 04.05.2026 12:27
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Multiple third parties, including Mirai botnet variants and the “Sorry” ransomware strain, began weaponizing CVE-2026-41940 within 24 hours of public disclosure.
First reported: 04.05.2026 12:271 source, 1 articleShow sources
- Critical cPanel Vulnerability Weaponized to Target Government and MSP Networks — thehackernews.com — 04.05.2026 12:27
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Shadowserver Foundation observed 44,000 IPs likely compromised via CVE-2026-41940 conducting scanning and brute-force activities on April 30, 2026, with the number dropping to 3,540 by May 3, 2026.
First reported: 04.05.2026 12:271 source, 1 articleShow sources
- Critical cPanel Vulnerability Weaponized to Target Government and MSP Networks — thehackernews.com — 04.05.2026 12:27