LorisApplication · Mcgill

CVE-2026-26984

HIGH · 8.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2026-02-25
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 26.0.5 / 27.0.2 or later.
See remediation →
94/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
LORIS (Longitudinal Online Research and Imaging System) is a self-hosted web application that provides data- and project-management for neuroimaging research. Prior to versions 26.0.5, 27.0.2, and 28.0.0, an authenticated user with sufficient privileges can exploit a path traversal vulnerability to upload a malicious file to an arbitrary location on the server. Once uploaded, the file can be used to achieve remote code execution (RCE). An attacker must be authenticated and have the appropriate permissions to exploit this issue. If the server is configured as read-only, remote code execution (RCE) is not possible; however, the malicious file upload may still be achievable. This problem is fixed in LORIS v26.0.5 and above, v27.0.2 and above, and v28.0.0 and above. As a workaround, LORIS administrators can disable the media module if it is not being used.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

LORIS neuroimaging research platform versions prior to 26.0.5, 27.0.2, and 28.0.0 contain a path traversal vulnerability in the media module that allows authenticated users with sufficient privileges to upload files to arbitrary server locations, potentially achieving remote code execution.

MitigationUpgrade LORIS to version 26.0.5+, 27.0.2+, or 28.0.0+; alternatively, disable the media module if unused.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
LorisApplication
Affected:< 26.0.5>= 27.0.0, < 27.0.2

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify LORIS installation location
    Locate the LORIS web directory - typically installed at /var/www/loris or similar. Check for the presence of the main LORIS directory structure including htdocs, php, and modules folders.
    Affected if LORIS is installed and accessible via web
  2. Determine installed LORIS version
    Check the version file in the LORIS root directory, commonly named 'VERSION' or 'docs/version.md'. Alternatively, inspect composer.json for the 'version' field.
    Affected if Installed version is < 26.0.5 OR >= 27.0.0 AND < 27.0.2 OR >= 28.0.0 AND < 28.0.0 (empty range indicates all versions < 28.0.0 are affected)
  3. Verify media module is present
    Navigate to the modules directory and check for the existence of a 'media' subdirectory. Typical path: /loris_root/modules/media/
    Affected if The media module directory exists in the installation
  4. Check if media module is enabled
    Examine the LORIS configuration file (config.xml or config.xml.database) for module settings. Look for the 'media' module entry in the 'modules' section to determine if it is set to 'true' or enabled.
    Affected if Media module is listed as enabled in the LORIS configuration
  5. Confirm user access to media upload functionality
    Review user permissions in the LORIS user management interface or database. Check if any user roles have 'media' upload or 'media' write permissions granted.
    Affected if Authenticated users with media upload privileges exist in the system

You are affected if LORIS version is below 26.0.5, between 27.0.0-27.0.2, or below 28.0.0 AND the media module is enabled and accessible to authenticated users.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 26.0.5 / 27.0.2 or later
Fixed in 26.0.527.0.2
Interim mitigation

Upgrade LORIS to version 26.0.5+, 27.0.2+, or 28.0.0+; alternatively, disable the media module if unused.

Recommended fix High confidence

LORIS v26.0.5, v27.0.2, or v28.0.0+ (depending on your current major version branch)

  1. 1. Identify the currently installed LORIS version by checking the application's version file or admin interface
  2. 2. Review the current server configuration to understand if the media module is enabled and in use
  3. 3. If the media module is not actively used by researchers, disable it as an immediate workaround via the LORIS configuration
  4. 4. For a permanent fix, upgrade to LORIS v26.0.5 (if currently on 26.x), v27.0.2 (if currently on 27.x), or v28.0.0+ (if currently on 28.x)
  5. 5. After upgrading, verify the media module functionality works correctly and the path traversal vulnerability is resolved
  6. 6. Test that authenticated users with media upload privileges can still upload files to legitimate locations only
  7. 7. Review server logs for any suspicious upload activity that may indicate exploitation attempts
Caveat Minor version upgrades within the same major release typically have minimal breaking changes, but test in a staging environment before production deployment; verify any custom integrations with the media module continue to function

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Loris Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
11.0 hours of engineering $1,930
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2026-26984 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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