Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain
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AccessRegister or obtain Subscriber account
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DeliverySend crafted file-upload request
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ExploitBypass missing type validation (CWE-434)
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ExecutionWrite PHP webshell to web root
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PersistRequest uploaded file to execute code
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ImpactFull host compromise
Vulnerability Assessment
| Weakness |
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A06:2025 - Insecure Design
ASVS 5.0
V5 - File Handling File type validation, storage isolation
MITRE ATT&CK
2 techniques across 2 tactics: Command and Control, Persistence 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 account at the Subscriber (low-privilege) level per the CVSS vector (PR:L), meaning the attacker must be able to register or otherwise obtain a WordPress account on a site running IT Residence version 3.2.1 or earlier; the vulnerable theme upload feature must be reachable. What limits exploitation: sites that disable open user registration prevent anonymous attackers from self-provisioning the required account, and sites not running IT Residence (or running a future fixed version) are unaffected. No user interaction is needed (UI:N) and no non-default WordPress configuration beyond having registration enabled - which is common on membership, comment, and e-commerce sites - is required. |
| Impact | This is a genuine high-priority issue rather than an inflated CVSS score: the vector CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H describes a network-reachable, low-complexity, no-user-interaction path requiring only a low-privilege (Subscriber) account, culminating in full confidentiality/integrity/availability loss with scope change - the classic pattern for file-upload-to-webshell RCE. The main mitigating factor is PR:L: exploitation requires an authenticated account, so sites that disable open user registration (Settings > General > 'Anyone can register') materially raise the bar. No CISA KEV listing and no public exploit code have been identified, and EPSS was not provided, so there is no evidence of active or widespread exploitation yet; however, file-upload flaws in WordPress themes are frequently weaponized quickly after disclosure, so any operator running an affected site should treat this as urgent. The CVSS and description are consistent, so no signal conflict is present; the primary uncertainty is the exact fixed version, which is not stated in the provided data. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | An attacker registers a free Subscriber account on a WordPress site running IT Residence <= 3.2.1 (or uses an existing low-privilege account), then sends a crafted request to the theme's upload handler containing a PHP web shell disguised or unvalidated by extension/MIME checks. The file lands in a web-accessible directory, and the attacker requests its URL to execute arbitrary code as the web server user, taking control of the site and potentially the host. No public exploit code has been identified at time of analysis, but the low complexity makes independent development straightforward. |
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Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – Aug 20, 2026
Arbitrary file upload in the IT Residence WordPress theme (by indithemes), versions 3.2.1 and earlier, lets an authenticated low-privilege user (Subscriber) upload files without proper validation of type or content. Because a Subscriber is the lowest self-registerable role on many WordPress sites, an attacker who can register or obtain such an account can upload a malicious PHP payload and achieve remote code execution on the host. Reported by Patchstack; no public exploit code has been identified at time of analysis.
RemediationAI
No vendor-released patched version is confirmed in the provided data, so the primary action is to upgrade to a release later than 3.2.1 as soon as the theme author (indithemes) publishes one - check the Patchstack advisory (https://patchstack.com/database/wordpress/theme/it-residence/vulnerability/wordpress-it-residence-theme-3-2-1-arbitrary-file-upload-vulnerability) and the theme vendor for the fixed build. Until a fix is applied, reduce exposure by disabling open user registration (uncheck 'Anyone can register' under Settings > General) and auditing existing Subscriber accounts, since exploitation requires an authenticated low-privilege user; this has the side effect of blocking legitimate self-service signups. Additionally, deploy a WordPress WAF/virtual patch (Patchstack or equivalent) to block the vulnerable upload endpoint, and harden wp-content/uploads to deny PHP execution (e.g., an .htaccess or nginx rule preventing execution of .php in the uploads directory), which prevents an uploaded payload from running but does not fix the underlying upload flaw. If the theme is not essential, switching to a maintained theme eliminates the risk entirely.
Affected VersionsENISA
Affected Packages
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
The affected component is a commercial WordPress theme, IT Residence, identified by CPE cpe:2.3:a:indithemes:it_residence. The root cause is CWE-434 (Unrestricted Upload of File with Dangerous Type): a theme-provided upload handler (commonly an AJAX action or form endpoint) accepts files from an authenticated request without enforcing an allow-list of extensions/MIME types or relocating uploads outside the web root. In WordPress theme code this typically manifests as an ajax_ or admin-ajax.php action that is exposed to the low-privilege nopriv/subscriber context and writes attacker-controlled content into wp-content/uploads, where PHP is executable. The CVSS scope change (S:C) reflects that code executing in the web server context can affect resources beyond the vulnerable component (the underlying host and other hosted applications).
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Severity by source
AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
Network-reachable upload endpoint reachable by a self-registerable Subscriber (PR:L), no interaction, yielding webshell RCE that escapes the app context (S:C) with full C/I/A loss.
Primary rating from Vendor (Patchstack).
CVSS VectorVendor: Patchstack
DescriptionCVE.org
Subscriber Arbitrary File Upload in IT Residence <= 3.2.1 versions.
Executive ViewAI
The IT Residence WordPress theme (versions 3.2.1 and earlier) contains a critical arbitrary file upload vulnerability allowing remote code execution on affected WordPress installations. Attackers who can obtain or register a low-privilege Subscriber account can upload malicious PHP files and gain complete site control. Any organization running this theme faces immediate risk of data theft, malware injection, and service compromise.
No vendor-released patch identified at time of analysis. Interim mitigations: (1) Immediately switch to an alternative theme or default WordPress theme; (2) Implement Web Application Firewall rules blocking executable file uploads (.php, .phtml, .php5, etc.); (3) Configure web server to deny script execution in wp-content/uploads directory via .htaccess (Apache) or nginx.conf; (4) Monitor WordPress logs for failed authentication attempts and unusual file uploads; (5) Scan server for already-uploaded malicious files using WordPress security scanners.
Threat Intelligence Overview
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.
What every action level means
SSVC AssessmentENISA
Priority Score
Attack Technique
Malicious file upload attacks exploit insufficient validation when web applications accept user-provided files.
EUVD-2026-63316
GHSA-6px3-6pv7-rjgj
NVD
CVE.org
EPSS
Vulnrichment
Exploit-DB