Severity by source
AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
Network-reachable WordPress endpoint (AV:N), requires Subscriber auth (PR:L), non-trivial exploitation conditions implied by advisory (AC:H), arbitrary code execution breaks out of plugin scope to host OS (S:C) with full CIA impact.
Primary rating from Vendor (Patchstack).
CVSS VectorVendor: Patchstack
Lifecycle Timeline
2DescriptionCVE.org
Subscriber Arbitrary Code Execution in Cornerstone < 7.8.8 versions.
AnalysisAI
Arbitrary code execution in Themeco Cornerstone WordPress plugin versions prior to 7.8.8 allows authenticated low-privilege users (Subscriber role) to inject and execute arbitrary code on the underlying server. The CVSS:3.1 vector indicates a scope-changed network-vector flaw with high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability, though high attack complexity tempers the realistic risk. No public exploit identified at time of analysis, and the issue is not on the CISA KEV list.
Technical ContextAI
Cornerstone is a popular front-end visual page builder plugin for WordPress developed by Themeco (CPE cpe:2.3:a:themeco:cornerstone). The root cause is classified as CWE-94 (Improper Control of Generation of Code), commonly arising when user-supplied input flows into PHP evaluation, template rendering, shortcode handlers, or AJAX endpoints that fail to enforce capability checks tied to the Subscriber role. Because WordPress permits open registration by default on many sites, Subscriber-level accounts are typically considered low-trust, making code-injection paths reachable from that role particularly dangerous in the WordPress ecosystem.
RemediationAI
Upgrade the Cornerstone plugin to version 7.8.8 or later, which is the vendor-released patch per the Patchstack advisory (https://patchstack.com/database/wordpress/plugin/cornerstone/vulnerability/wordpress-cornerstone-plugin-7-8-8-arbitrary-code-execution-vulnerability). Until the upgrade is applied, disable open user registration in WordPress Settings > General (unchecking 'Anyone can register'), audit existing Subscriber accounts and remove unknown ones, and consider temporarily deactivating the Cornerstone plugin on sites that cannot patch immediately - note that deactivation will break any front-end pages built with Cornerstone. A WAF rule restricting access to Cornerstone's AJAX/admin-ajax handlers to higher-privileged roles can serve as a stopgap, with the trade-off that legitimate builder functionality for authorized editors may be impacted.
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External POC / Exploit Code
Leaving vuln.today
EUVD-2026-37497