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Fastcache by Host.it EUVDEUVD-2026-96068

| CVE-2026-104021 HIGH
Code Injection (CWE-94)
2026-10-10 Wordfence GHSA-hm53-mjmf-w6v4
7.2
CVSS 3.1 · Vendor: Wordfence
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Attack ChainAIDerived

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

  1. Access
    Authenticate as WordPress administrator
  2. Delivery
    Submit crafted cache_cookie_exclude value with embedded newline
  3. Exploit
    Break out of RewriteCond and inject Apache directives
  4. Execution
    Plugin writes directives to .htaccess
  5. Persist
    Set auto_prepend_file to attacker PHP
  6. Impact
    Execute arbitrary PHP server-wide

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

Requires an authenticated administrator-level account (PR:H) because the injection point is the plugin's fastcache_settings[cache_cookie_exclude][] option, saved through register_setting() which lacks a sanitize_callback. Exploitation also requires that the environment uses Apache with an .htaccess file the plugin can write via file_put_contents(), and that the host honors directives like php_value auto_prepend_file (i.e. AllowOverride permits them) - on nginx or on Apache configured with AllowOverride None, the injected directives would not take effect. The decisive limiting factor is the administrator privilege requirement, which confines this to post-authentication abuse or environments that specifically restrict admins from direct file/.htaccess access.

Impact

This is a genuine but access-gated code-execution flaw, best treated as a privilege-to-RCE escalation rather than a mass-exploitable perimeter bug. The CVSS 3.1 vector (AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N, base 7.2 HIGH) correctly captures the central limiting factor: PR:H means the attacker must already hold administrator-level access to the WordPress site, since the injection is reached through the plugin's settings (register_setting without a sanitize_callback). The high confidentiality/integrity/availability impacts are justified because the end result is attacker-controlled PHP executed on every request via an .htaccess auto_prepend_file directive - effectively full server-side code execution. No EPSS score, KEV listing, or POC was provided in the input, so there is no public exploit identified at time of analysis and no evidence of active exploitation; this argues against emergency prioritization. The practical caveat for defenders is that a WordPress administrator already has substantial power (plugin/theme file editing, PHP execution) in many default configurations, so the real added risk is mainly in hardened or multi-admin/managed-hosting environments where admins are intentionally denied direct file/.htaccess write access - there this flaw meaningfully breaks that boundary. No signals conflict; the main gap is the absence of exploitation-probability data (EPSS/KEV/POC all unstated).

Exploit ScenarioDerived

An attacker who has obtained WordPress administrator access (via compromised credentials, a second vulnerability, or a malicious/co-admin account) opens the Fastcache settings and submits a cache_cookie_exclude value containing an embedded newline followed by an Apache directive such as php_value auto_prepend_file. Because only trim() is applied, the newline survives and the injected directive is written into .htaccess by file_put_contents(), causing attacker-controlled PHP to execute on every subsequent request. No public exploit code was identified at time of analysis.

This Week Schedule remediation this week. Why: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9).
No patch listed yet 0.4% exploitation probability (EPSS)

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AnalysisAIv1 – Oct 10, 2026

Code injection in the Fastcache by Host.it WordPress plugin (all versions up to and including 1.7.4) allows an authenticated administrator-level user to write arbitrary Apache directives into the site's .htaccess file, which can be escalated to full remote code execution by setting php_value auto_prepend_file to load attacker-controlled PHP on every request. Exploitation requires the PR:H vector from the assessed CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H score (7.2), i.e. a logged-in account with administrator privileges, and is further conditioned on the site running Apache with an .htaccess file the plugin can write and an AllowOverride configuration that honors php_value directives - on nginx or Apache with AllowOverride None the injected directives have no effect. No public exploit code was identified at time of analysis and the flaw is not listed in CISA KEV; this is a genuine but access-gated privilege-to-RCE escalation rather than a mass-exploitable perimeter bug.

RemediationAI

No vendor-released patched version could be independently confirmed from the supplied data: the only fix indicator is the upstream Trac changeset at https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/changeset?reponame=&old=3735944%40fastcache-by-host-it&new=3735944%40fastcache-by-host-it, so treat this as an upstream fix available (changeset/commit) with the released patched version not independently confirmed - verify the plugin's current version on WordPress.org and update only if the changelog shows the cache_cookie_exclude sanitization fix. Until a patched release is installed, the most effective mitigation is to remove the attack precondition rather than rely on the privilege gate: restrict the WordPress administrator role to fully trusted operators, since exploitation requires PR:H and a compromised or malicious admin is the entry point. Second, neutralize the sink by making the site's .htaccess non-writable to the web server user (for example read-only permissions or chattr +i) or by setting AllowOverride None - or at minimum denying the php_value/FileInfo and Options overrides - so that injected directives such as php_value auto_prepend_file cannot take effect; the trade-off is that the plugin (and any other plugin) loses the ability to rewrite caching rules, which may disable Fastcache's static-cache behavior until the plugin is patched or uninstalled. Third, as a targeted virtual patch, deploy a WAF or request-filtering rule that rejects newline characters (CR/LF) in any fastcache_settings[cache_cookie_exclude][] value, accepting that this is bypassable by a determined authenticated admin who can edit files by other means. If the plugin is not essential, deactivate and delete it - note that this removes the caching feature entirely but also eliminates the vulnerable settings endpoint. Review existing .htaccess files for unexpected php_value auto_prepend_file or other injected directives, and consult the Wordfence advisory for the vendor's latest guidance.

Affected VersionsENISA

Fastcache by Host.it 0 ≤1.7.4

Affected Packages

euvd fastcache_by_host_it 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

The root cause is CWE-94 (Code Injection) arising from a missing input-sanitization boundary in the plugin's WordPress settings registration. The plugin registers the cache_cookie_exclude setting through register_setting() without a sanitize_callback, so the multi-value fastcache_settings[cache_cookie_exclude][] parameter is stored essentially verbatim (see src/Admin.php#L73 and src/Dispatcher.php#L480 in the 1.7.4 source tree). When the plugin generates Apache rewrite rules in buildSiteHtaccessRules() (src/Core/Platform/Utility.php, notably around lines 420/521/545), each cookie value passes through trim() only - normalization that removes surrounding whitespace but preserves embedded CR/LF characters - and is then interpolated directly into a RewriteCond line inside the .htaccess content, which is committed to disk with file_put_contents(). An embedded newline therefore breaks out of the intended capture group and terminates the RewriteCond, allowing arbitrary Apache directive lines to be appended to the same file. Because .htaccess is server-level configuration on Apache, directives such as php_value auto_prepend_file cause attacker-supplied PHP to be prepended to every request handled by that document root, converting a settings-storage weakness into persistent code execution. The environment dependency is decisive: the technique only works where the document root is served by Apache, the file is writable by the web user, and AllowOverride grants the FileInfo/Options overrides needed to honor php_value - the CPE cpe:2.3:a:hostspa:fastcache_by_host.it:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* confirms the affected package is the plugin itself, not Apache or WordPress core.

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Severity by source

Vendor (Wordfence) PRIMARY 7.2 HIGH
AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
vuln.today AI 7.2 HIGH

Reached over the network via the admin settings UI (AV:N/AC:L) but only by an administrator (PR:H); yields full PHP execution on the same host, so C:H/I:H/A:H and S:U.

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

Primary rating from Vendor (Wordfence).

CVSS VectorVendor: Wordfence

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

DescriptionCVE.org

The Fastcache by Host.it plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Code Injection in all versions up to, and including, 1.7.4 via the fastcache_settings[cache_cookie_exclude][] parameter. This is due to the plugin registering the cache_cookie_exclude setting via register_setting() without a sanitize_callback, while buildSiteHtaccessRules() applies only trim() to each cookie value before interpolating it directly into an Apache RewriteCond line - a normalization that strips surrounding whitespace but leaves embedded newlines intact, allowing an attacker to break out of the capture group and append arbitrary directives. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with administrator-level access and above, to inject arbitrary Apache directives into the site's .htaccess file via file_put_contents(), enabling server-level configuration changes such as setting php_value auto_prepend_file to execute attacker-controlled PHP code on every request.

Executive ViewAI

Why It Matters

Fastcache by Host.it WordPress plugin, versions up to and including 1.7.4, contains a high-severity code injection flaw that allows an authenticated administrator to write Apache directives and potentially achieve full remote code execution on affected sites. The organizational impact includes potential compromise of the WordPress site and its hosting environment, so leadership should care because a compromised or malicious admin account could lead to data theft, defacement, or server takeover, though exploitation is gated by administrator access and specific Apache configurations. No public exploit identified at time of analysis, and no vendor-released patch identified at time of analysis.

Business Impact: High
Compensating Controls

No vendor-released patch identified at time of analysis; interim mitigations include removing or disabling Fastcache by Host.it through 1.7.4, restricting administrator-level access, auditing .htaccess for unexpected php_value auto_prepend_file directives, setting Apache AllowOverride None or disallowing php_value overrides, and enabling file integrity monitoring for .htaccess and PHP files.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.4%
Top 68% exploitable
Prevalence
Low
niche hosting-provider WordPress caching plugin, limited install base
Data Quality
6 sources
Confidence: High

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 HIGH
CISA KEV No
Public POC No
EPSS 0.4%
Patch available No
Active threat No
Deciding rule
HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9)
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
High
Technical Impact
Total

Priority Score

36
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: 0
CVSS: +36
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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