CVE-2026-6169
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedThe affiliate-toolkit plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to remote code execution in all versions up to, and including, 3.8.5. This is due to the plugin using the BladeOne templating engine's runString() method which compiles user-supplied template content into PHP code and executes it via eval() without sanitization or sandboxing. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Editor-level access and above, to execute arbitrary code on the server by injecting PHP into a plugin template.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceThe affiliate-toolkit WordPress plugin (versions up to 3.8.5) uses the BladeOne templating engine's runString() method which compiles user-supplied template content into PHP code and executes it via eval() without any sanitization or sandboxing. This allows authenticated users with Editor-level permissions or higher to inject arbitrary PHP code into plugin templates and achieve remote code execution on the server.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- High
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
-
Verify affiliate-toolkit plugin is installedIn WordPress admin, go to Plugins > Installed Plugins and look for 'affiliate-toolkit' in the list. Note the version number displayed under the plugin name.Affected if The plugin is installed and the version is 3.8.5 or lower.
-
Check WordPress user roles with Editor accessGo to Users > All Users in WordPress admin. Review the Role column for any users assigned 'Editor' or higher roles (Administrator, Editor). These users have permission to access the vulnerable template functionality.Affected if There are Editor-level or higher users, particularly untrusted ones, who could access the template editing feature.
-
Locate plugin template files using runString()In the plugin directory (wp-content/plugins/affiliate-toolkit/), search for files containing 'runString' or review Blade template files (.blade.php) that may accept user input for dynamic compilation.Affected if Template files exist that invoke runString() with unsanitized user-controlled template content.
-
Audit recent template modificationsCheck WordPress revision history or file modification timestamps on template files in the plugin. Look for unexpected changes or newly created template files that may contain malicious PHP code injection.Affected if Template files show unexpected modifications or contain suspicious PHP code that was not intentionally added.
Your environment is affected if the affiliate-toolkit plugin is installed at version 3.8.5 or lower AND Editor-level or higher users have access to modify templates that use the runString() method.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
From vendor dataUpdate the plugin to a version beyond 3.8.5 when available. Until then, restrict Editor-level access to untrusted users and monitor for suspicious template modifications.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $5,120.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2026-6169 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2026-6169 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.
A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.
- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data