Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain
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AccessSend crafted request with vcv-template param
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ExploitPlugin includes attacker-referenced file
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ExecutionPHP in included file executes
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ImpactBypass access controls / read sensitive data / gain RCE
Vulnerability Assessment
| Weakness |
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A05:2025 - Injection
ASVS 5.0
V5 - File Handling File inclusion prevention, allowlisting
MITRE ATT&CK
2 techniques across 2 tactics: Initial Access, Command and Control The technique list with ATT&CK links and the kill-chain view is part of the Basic plan and up. |
| Exploitation Conditions | No authentication required - unauthenticated remote exploitation (PR:N/UI:N) against WordPress sites running Visual Composer Website Builder version 45.16.0 or earlier, triggered through the vcv-template request parameter. The primary limiting factor is impact scope: bypassing access controls and reading sensitive files works directly, but achieving full arbitrary PHP code execution additionally requires that the attacker can place an includable file on the server (e.g., uploading an image or other 'safe' file type that is then included), as stated in the description. No non-default configuration is otherwise required. |
| Impact | All available signals point to this being a genuine high-priority issue rather than an inflated CVSS score. The CVSS 3.1 vector (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H = 9.8) describes remote, unauthenticated exploitation with low complexity and no user interaction, and the CWE-98 (PHP file inclusion) classification aligns with the description of arbitrary file inclusion and PHP execution via the vcv-template parameter. Impact is legitimately high: even where full RCE is gated on being able to upload a 'safe' file, the flaw unconditionally allows access-control bypass and disclosure of sensitive files, which independently justifies C:H. No EPSS score, KEV listing, or public POC is present in the supplied data, so there is currently no evidence of active exploitation or automated weaponization - but the combination of unauthenticated pre-auth reach and a very widely deployed page-builder plugin makes this an attractive mass-scan target once exploit details circulate. Net: prioritize patching promptly; the absence of KEV/EPSS reflects data timing, not low real-world risk. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | An unauthenticated attacker sends a crafted HTTP request to a WordPress site running Visual Composer, setting the vcv-template parameter to reference a file path on the server. The plugin includes and executes that file as PHP; if the attacker has first uploaded a benign-looking file (e.g., an image containing PHP) or can point at a sensitive/log file, this yields code execution or disclosure of configuration and credential data. No public exploit code is identified in the provided data, but the low-complexity unauthenticated vector makes reliable exploitation straightforward once the parameter is known. |
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Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – Sep 24, 2026
Unauthenticated local file inclusion in the Visual Composer Website Builder plugin for WordPress (all versions up to and including 45.16.0) lets remote attackers supply the vcv-template request parameter to force the server to include and execute files of their choosing. Because the vulnerable code path is reachable without authentication (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H), attackers can directly bypass access controls and read sensitive files on the host; full PHP code execution is achievable only where the attacker can also plant an includable file (for example an uploaded image or other supposedly 'safe' file type) on the server. At time of analysis there is no confirmed active exploitation (not listed in CISA KEV) and no public exploit code identified, though the Wordfence advisory and the plugin's own Trac changeset confirm an upstream fix has been committed.
RemediationAI
Upstream fix available (PR/commit); released patched version not independently confirmed. The remediation commit is visible in the WordPress plugin Trac at https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/changeset/3619572/ and the vulnerability is documented at https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/486c1c7c-5a66-42d3-85b0-13ce52a16ed1?source=cve, so administrators should update Visual Composer Website Builder to the first release that incorporates that changeset as soon as it is published - do not assume that 45.16.0 itself is fixed, since it is explicitly listed as affected. If the plugin is not essential, deactivating and deleting it removes the attack surface entirely; the trade-off is the loss of page-builder functionality and, potentially, layout breakage on pages that depend on it. Where the plugin must stay online before a patched build is available, place a WAF or reverse-proxy rule in front of the site that rejects requests whose vcv-template parameter contains path traversal sequences, absolute paths, URL-encoded equivalents (../, %2e%2e%2f), or references to files outside the plugin's template directory - this blocks the known vector but may interfere with legitimate template selection if the parameter is used dynamically, so test before enforcing. Additionally, restrict file-upload privileges across all roles and disable any untrusted upload paths, because the transition from file read to code execution depends on the attacker being able to place an includable file on the server; and audit logs for requests carrying suspicious vcv-template values to detect attempts against the read-only, access-control-bypass form of the attack, which requires no secondary upload step.
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 issue is a PHP file-inclusion flaw (CWE-98: Improper Control of Filename for Include/Require Statement in PHP Program), the classic root cause behind local file inclusion in PHP applications. Visual Composer Website Builder is a popular WordPress page-builder plugin whose template rendering logic accepts a user-controlled identifier through the vcv-template parameter and passes it into an include/require path without adequate canonicalization, allow-listing, or path-traversal filtering. As a result, an attacker can traverse the filesystem (or point at an already-present uploaded file) and cause the interpreter to load arbitrary content. Where the included file contains PHP, it is executed in the web server's context; where it does not, its contents are still disclosed to the attacker, which is why the same primitive yields both information disclosure and, conditionally, code execution. The CPE entry cpe:2.3:a:visualcomposer:visual_composer_website_builder:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* carries a wildcard version, consistent with the vendor statement that every release up to and including 45.16.0 is affected. The CVSS vector is network-reachable, low complexity, and requires no privileges or user interaction, but the scope is unchanged (S:U), reflecting that exploitation stays within the WordPress host rather than crossing a security boundary.
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Severity by source
AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Unauthenticated network LFI with no user interaction (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N); file inclusion/PHP execution yields high confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact within the affected component (S:U).
Primary rating from Vendor (Wordfence).
CVSS VectorVendor: Wordfence
DescriptionCVE.org
The Visual Composer Website Builder plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Local File Inclusion in all versions up to, and including, 45.16.0 via the vcv-template parameter. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to include and execute arbitrary files on the server, allowing the execution of any PHP code in those files. This can be used to bypass access controls, obtain sensitive data, or achieve code execution in cases where images and other “safe” file types can be uploaded and included.
Articles & Coverage 1
Latest POC
1 public PoC link from nuclei
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Executive ViewAI
Any WordPress site running the Visual Composer Website Builder plugin at version 45.16.0 or earlier is exposed to unauthenticated remote attackers who can force the server to read and execute files of their choosing, including sensitive configuration and credential files outside the web root. With no vendor-released patch available, the entire install base remains exposed and the risk cannot be closed through routine update cycles; sites that also allow attackers to place a file on disk, such as through an image upload, face full server-side code execution and complete takeover. Leadership should treat this as a fleet-wide exposure with direct implications for customer data confidentiality, credential integrity, site availability, and brand trust.
No vendor-released patch identified at time of analysis; interim mitigations include deactivating or removing the Visual Composer Website Builder plugin (versions up to and including 45.16.0), virtual patching or WAF filtering of the vcv-template request parameter, disabling PHP execution in wp-content/uploads and other writable directories, restricting upload privileges to trusted roles, and heightened log monitoring for exploitation attempts until a fixed build is released and applied.
Threat Model
5 threats: Elevation of Privilege, Information Disclosure, Tampering and 1 more
3-step attack chain with trust boundaries and controls
Full threat model - attack chain, trust boundaries, controls per stage and evidence - is part of the Pro and Business plans.
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
Local File Inclusion vulnerabilities occur when an application accepts user-controlled input to specify which file should be loaded or executed, typically through functions like PHP's `include()`, `require()`, or `fopen()`.
Information disclosure occurs when an application unintentionally exposes sensitive data that aids attackers in reconnaissance or directly compromises security.
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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Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting') vulnerability in Visual Composer Vi
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Broken access control in Visual Composer Website Builder plugin for WordPress allows authenticated attackers with low pr
EUVD-2026-85839
GHSA-3q44-ppmv-jh7f
NVD
CVE.org
EPSS
Vulnrichment
Exploit-DB