16 September 2026
1. What is being reported?
There is a security weakness in the Acronis backup plugin for cPanel that hackers are currently exploiting. This flaw allows attackers to escalate their privileges, meaning they can gain more control over the system than they should be allowed.
2. What this means in plain English
If your business uses this backup plugin, attackers could use this flaw to access sensitive data or disrupt your website and services. This could lead to data loss, downtime, or unauthorised changes to your systems.
3. Could this affect a small business?
Small businesses that use cPanel hosting with the Acronis backup plugin are at risk. If you do not use this plugin or cPanel, this vulnerability likely does not affect you. Check with your hosting provider or IT support if unsure.
4. What to do now
- Check if your hosting environment uses the Acronis backup plugin with cPanel.
- Contact your hosting provider or IT support to confirm if the plugin is installed and vulnerable.
- Apply any security updates or patches provided by Acronis or your hosting provider immediately.
- Monitor your systems for unusual activity and ensure backups are secure and tested.
5. Ask your IT provider
Can you confirm whether our hosting environment uses the Acronis backup plugin for cPanel, and if so, has it been updated to fix the recently reported security flaw?
6. Bottom line
If you use the Acronis backup plugin with cPanel, act quickly to update and protect your systems from active attacks.
Information based on reputable security reporting and CISA KEV.