CVE-2026-6518
CMP – Coming Soon & Maintenance Plugin by NiteoThemes <= 4.1.16 - Missing Authorization to Authenticated (Administrator+) Arbitrary File Upload and Remote Code Execution
The CMP – Coming Soon & Maintenance Plugin by NiteoThemes plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to arbitrary file upload and remote code execution in all versions up to, and including, 4.1.16 via the cmp_theme_update_install AJAX action. This is due to the function only checking for the publish_pages capability (available to Editors and above) instead of manage_options (Administrators only), combined with a lack of proper validation on the user-supplied file URL and no verification of the downloaded file's content before extraction. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Administrator-level access and above, to force the server to download and extract a malicious ZIP file from a remote attacker-controlled URL into a web-accessible directory (wp-content/plugins/cmp-premium-themes/), resulting in remote code execution. Due to the lack of a nonce for Editors, they are unable to exploit this vulnerability.
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges needed
- Low
- User interaction
- None
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
CVE List Score used
8.8
CMP – Coming Soon & Maintenance Plugin by NiteoThemes <= 4.1.16 - Missing Authorization to Authenticated (Administrator+) Arbitrary File Upload and Remote Code Execution
The CMP – Coming Soon & Maintenance Plugin by NiteoThemes plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to arbitrary file upload and remote code execution in all versions up to, and including, 4.1.16 via the cmp_theme_update_install AJAX action. This is due to the function only checking for the publish_pages capability (available to Editors and above) instead of manage_options (Administrators only), combined with a lack of proper validation on the user-supplied file URL and no verification of the downloaded file's content before extraction. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Administrator-level access and above, to force the server to download and extract a malicious ZIP file from a remote attacker-controlled URL into a web-accessible directory (wp-content/plugins/cmp-premium-themes/), resulting in remote code execution. Due to the lack of a nonce for Editors, they are unable to exploit this vulnerability.
- Record
CVE-2026-6518- CVSS 3.1
- 8.8 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-434
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2026-23654
8.8
The CMP – Coming Soon & Maintenance Plugin by NiteoThemes plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to arbitrary file upload and remote code execution in all versions up to, and including, 4.1.16 via the cmp_theme_update_install AJAX action. This is due to the function only checking for the publish_pages capability (available to Editors and above) instead of manage_options (Administrators only), combined with a lack of proper validation on the user-supplied file URL and no verification of the downloaded file's content before extraction. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Administrator-level access and above, to force the server to download and extract a malicious ZIP file from a remote attacker-controlled URL into a web-accessible directory (wp-content/plugins/cmp-premium-themes/), resulting in remote code execution. Due to the lack of a nonce for Editors, they are unable to exploit this vulnerability.
- Record
EUVD-2026-23654- CVSS 3.1
- 8.8 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Updated
- 2026-11-02
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-cwq2-35x4-44pq
8.8
The CMP – Coming Soon & Maintenance Plugin by NiteoThemes plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to...
The CMP – Coming Soon & Maintenance Plugin by NiteoThemes plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to arbitrary file upload and remote code execution in all versions up to, and including, 4.1.16 via the cmp_theme_update_install AJAX action. This is due to the function only checking for the publish_pages capability (available to Editors and above) instead of manage_options (Administrators only), combined with a lack of proper validation on the user-supplied file URL and no verification of the downloaded file's content before extraction. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Administrator-level access and above, to force the server to download and extract a malicious ZIP file from a remote attacker-controlled URL into a web-accessible directory (wp-content/plugins/cmp-premium-themes/), resulting in remote code execution. Due to the lack of a nonce for Editors, they are unable to exploit this vulnerability.
- Record
GHSA-cwq2-35x4-44pq- CVSS 3.1
- 8.8 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-434
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
NVD
8.8
The CMP – Coming Soon & Maintenance Plugin by NiteoThemes plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to arbitrary file upload and remote code execution in all versions up to, and including, 4.1.16 via the cmp_theme_update_install AJAX action. This is due to the function only checking for the publish_pages capability (available to Editors and above) instead of manage_options (Administrators only), combined with a lack of proper validation on the user-supplied file URL and no verification of the downloaded file's content before extraction. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Administrator-level access and above, to force the server to download and extract a malicious ZIP file from a remote attacker-controlled URL into a web-accessible directory (wp-content/plugins/cmp-premium-themes/), resulting in remote code execution. Due to the lack of a nonce for Editors, they are unable to exploit this vulnerability.
- Record
CVE-2026-6518- CVSS 3.1
- 8.8 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-434
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| first indexed | CVE List, EUVD, GitHub Advisories, NVD |
Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.
In short
CVE-2026-6518 is a high vulnerability (CVSS 8.8) in Niteo Cmp – Coming Soon & Maintenance Plugin By Niteothemes, published April 18, 2026. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.87%, the 58th percentile. No source names a fixed version.
References
wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/d6fb275b-dbba-46df-b170-977ef4a84c4c?source=cve
plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/cmp-coming-soon-maintenance/tags/4.1.16/niteo-cmp.php
plugins.trac.wordpress.org/changeset?old_path=%2Fcmp-coming-soon-maintenance/tags/4.1.16&new_path=%2Fcmp-coming-soon-maintenance/tags/4.1.17
nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-6518
github.com/advisories/GHSA-cwq2-35x4-44pq