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Widget Options EUVDEUVD-2026-39365

| CVE-2026-54823 CRITICAL
Code Injection (CWE-94)
2026-06-25 Patchstack GHSA-28rq-6fmf-79j2
9.9
CVSS 3.1 · Vendor: Patchstack
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Attack ChainAIDerived

Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain

  1. Access
    Obtain Contributor account (register or compromise)
  2. Delivery
    Access plugin widget/option endpoint
  3. Exploit
    Submit crafted code-injection payload
  4. Execution
    Plugin evaluates input as PHP
  5. Persist
    Execute arbitrary code on server
  6. Impact
    Full WordPress site takeover

Vulnerability Assessment

Weakness
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A05:2025 - Injection
ASVS 5.0
V1 - Encoding and Sanitization Code injection prevention, sandbox exec
MITRE ATT&CK

2 techniques across 2 tactics: Execution, Initial Access

The technique list with ATT&CK links and the kill-chain view is part of the Basic plan and up.

Exploitation Conditions

Exploitation requires an authenticated WordPress account with at least Contributor privileges (CVSS PR:L), and the target site must be running Widget Options 4.2.3 or earlier. No victim user interaction is needed (UI:N) and the vulnerable functionality is reachable over the network (AV:N) once authenticated. The key limiting factor is therefore account access: sites that disable self-registration, restrict the default role below Contributor, or vet their authors significantly raise the bar, whereas multi-author blogs, membership/community sites, and platforms granting Contributor accounts on signup are directly exposed. The exact plugin feature, parameter, or admin-ajax/REST endpoint that hosts the code-injection sink is not detailed in the available input and should be confirmed from the Patchstack advisory.

Impact

All severity signals point the same direction: the CVSS 3.1 vector (AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H, score 9.9) describes a network-reachable, low-complexity attack requiring only low privileges and no user interaction, with a scope change and full confidentiality/integrity/availability impact - consistent with RCE. The single discriminating control is PR:L (authentication required): this is NOT an unauthenticated internet-wide bug, so mass automated exploitation is less likely than the raw 9.9 suggests, and real-world risk concentrates on sites that allow Contributor (or higher) registration or have weak account hygiene. No EPSS score, KEV listing, or SSVC decision data was provided in the input, and no public proof-of-concept is referenced - so exploitation probability cannot be quantified and there is no evidence of active exploitation. Net: a genuine high-priority issue for any multi-author WordPress site running this plugin, but the authentication requirement meaningfully limits opportunistic, internet-scale exploitation compared to an unauthenticated RCE.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

An attacker registers (or compromises) a Contributor-level account on a WordPress site running Widget Options <= 4.2.3, then submits crafted widget/option input that is processed by the plugin's vulnerable code-generation sink. The injected payload is evaluated as PHP within the WordPress process, giving the attacker arbitrary code execution and a path to full site takeover. No public proof-of-concept is referenced in the available data, but the low attack complexity (AC:L) and lack of required user interaction make a working exploit straightforward for a knowledgeable attacker once authenticated.

Act Now Prioritize within 24-48h. Why: CRITICAL severity.
No patch listed yet 0.4% exploitation probability (EPSS)

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AnalysisAIv1 – Jun 25, 2026

Code injection in the Widget Options WordPress plugin (versions <= 4.2.3, by marketingfire) allows authenticated users holding the low-privileged Contributor role to achieve remote code execution on the host. Because exploitation only requires a Contributor account - a role frequently granted on multi-author and membership sites - an attacker who can register or compromise such an account can run arbitrary PHP and fully take over the site. There is no public exploit identified at time of analysis, but the 9.9 CVSS and CWE-94 classification place this at the most severe end of WordPress plugin flaws.

RemediationAI

Update the Widget Options plugin to the latest release above 4.2.3 as soon as the vendor publishes it; no exact fixed version is named in the available data, so confirm the patched version directly via the Patchstack advisory (https://patchstack.com/database/wordpress/plugin/widget-options/vulnerability/wordpress-widget-options-plugin-4-2-3-remote-code-execution-rce-vulnerability) and the plugin's WordPress.org changelog before relying on it - no vendor-released patch version is independently confirmed here. Until a fixed version is verified and applied, reduce exposure by removing or deactivating the Widget Options plugin (this disables its widget-display features site-wide), and tighten the attack surface that makes it reachable: disable open user registration or lower the default new-user role below Contributor, audit and remove untrusted Contributor/Author accounts, and place a virtual patch / WAF rule (for example Patchstack's own mFirewall ruleset) in front of the plugin's vulnerable endpoint. Each control has trade-offs - deactivating the plugin breaks any sidebars/widgets that depend on it, and disabling registration affects legitimate contributors - so test on staging where possible.

Affected VersionsENISA

Widget Options n/a ≤4.2.3

Affected Packages

euvd widget_options no fix

Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)

Affects your stack

Affects 1 package in euvd

Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.

Technical ContextAI · show details

Widget Options is a popular WordPress widget-management plugin (CPE cpe:2.3:a:marketingfire:widget_options) that extends the WordPress widget/sidebar system with display logic, styling, and visibility controls. The flaw is classified as CWE-94 (Improper Control of Generation of Code, i.e. Code Injection), meaning attacker-controlled input reaches a code-evaluation or template/callback sink without adequate sanitization, allowing arbitrary PHP/code to be generated and executed within the WordPress runtime. The Contributor angle is significant: WordPress Contributors can create and edit their own posts/widgets but normally cannot publish or execute code, so a code-injection sink reachable from Contributor-level input represents a substantial privilege boundary violation.

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  • Exploit and PoC references, threat intelligence from 22 sources

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Severity by source

Vendor (Patchstack) PRIMARY 9.9 CRITICAL
AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
vuln.today AI 8.8 HIGH

Network-reachable code injection needing only a Contributor account (PR:L) and no interaction; RCE yields full C/I/A, but I assess S:U as execution stays within the WordPress security authority.

3.1 AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
4.0 AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N

Primary rating from Vendor (Patchstack).

CVSS VectorVendor: Patchstack

Attack Vector
Network
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
Low
User Interaction
None
Scope
Changed
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

DescriptionCVE.org

Contributor Remote Code Execution (RCE) in Widget Options <= 4.2.3 versions.

Executive ViewAI

Why It Matters

The Widget Options WordPress plugin (versions ≤4.2.3) contains a critical code injection vulnerability allowing authenticated Contributor-level users to execute arbitrary PHP code and fully compromise affected WordPress sites. This creates immediate risk for multi-author and membership platforms where Contributor roles are commonly distributed, potentially exposing customer data, enabling unauthorized site modifications, or facilitating malware deployment.

Business Impact: Severe
Compensating Controls

No vendor-released patch identified at time of analysis. Interim mitigations: (1) Immediately deactivate and remove Widget Options plugin; (2) Restrict Contributor role assignment to verified, trusted users only; (3) Implement PHP execution monitoring and WAF rules targeting plugin directories; (4) Enforce multi-factor authentication for all user accounts; (5) Monitor vendor marketingfire security advisories and GitHub repository for patched release.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.4%
Top 66% exploitable
Prevalence
Medium
moderately popular WordPress widget plugin, common but not universal
Data Quality
5 sources
Confidence: Medium

How this decision was reached

The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.

SignalValue
Severity CRITICAL
CISA KEV No
Public POC No
EPSS 0.4%
Patch available No
Active threat No
Deciding rule
CRITICAL severity
What every action level means
Emergency Immediate action required. Criteria: CRITICAL + in CISA KEV (actively exploited) without patch, OR CRITICAL + EPSS > 30% without patch, OR CRITICAL + active threat signals without patch.
Act Now Prioritize within 24-48h. Criteria: in KEV with patch available, OR CRITICAL + public POC, OR HIGH + EPSS > 10%, OR CRITICAL + active threat, OR any CRITICAL severity.
This Week Schedule remediation this week. Criteria: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9). Patch within normal change window.
This Month Plan within 30 days. Criteria: MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9), lower exploitation probability. Include in regular patch cycle.
Monitor Track and reassess. Criteria: LOW severity (CVSS 0.1-3.9), minimal exploitation risk. No immediate action needed.

SSVC AssessmentENISA

SSVC Decision
Scheduled
Exploitation
None
System Exposure· derived
Open
Automatable
No
Human Impact
Very High
Technical Impact
Total

Priority Score

50
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: 0
CVSS: +50
PoC: 0
Weaponized: 0
Threat intel: 0
Gov advisory: 0

Attack Technique

Code Injection CRITICAL

Code injection occurs when an application accepts user input and passes it directly into a language interpreter or evaluator without proper sanitization.

Remote Code Execution represents the critical moment when an attacker successfully runs arbitrary code on a target system without physical access.

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