CVE-2026-8713
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 Avada (Fusion) Builder plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to arbitrary file deletion due to insufficient file path validation in the maybe_delete_files function in all versions up to, and including, 3.15.3. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to delete arbitrary files on the server, which can easily lead to remote code execution when the right file is deleted (such as wp-config.php). The attack requires a published Avada form configured to save entries to the database; an unauthenticated attacker submits a path-traversal payload via the wp_ajax_nopriv_fusion_form_submit_ajax handler while also controlling the fusion_privacy_expiration_interval and privacy_expiration_action fields to force an immediate 'delete' cleanup, causing the planted entry to be automatically processed by the Fusion_Form_DB_Privacy shutdown-hook routine without any administrator interaction.
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 Avada Fusion Builder plugin for WordPress contains an arbitrary file deletion vulnerability in the maybe_delete_files function in versions up to 3.15.3. Unauthenticated attackers can submit a path-traversal payload via the wp_ajax_nopriv_fusion_form_submit_ajax handler by manipulating fusion_privacy_expiration_interval and privacy_expiration_action fields to force immediate deletion through the Fusion_Form_DB_Privacy shutdown-hook, allowing deletion of critical files like wp-config.php leading to potential RCE.
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
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- None
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/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.
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Verify Avada Fusion Builder is installedCheck the WordPress plugins directory or access the Plugins admin page to confirm the Avada Fusion Builder plugin is activeAffected if Avada Fusion Builder plugin is installed and active
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Identify the installed Avada versionAccess the WordPress admin dashboard, go to Avada > Support, or check the plugin file header in wp-content/plugins/fusion-builder/readme.txt to find the version numberAffected if The installed version is 3.15.3 or any earlier version up to and including 3.15.3
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Confirm the forms module is enabledNavigate to Avada > Theme Options > Form Survey and verify if any Avada Forms are created or the forms functionality is enabled; alternatively, check for fusion_form_post_type entries in the databaseAffected if Avada Forms functionality is enabled or any forms exist in the WordPress installation
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Verify AJAX endpoint accessibilityTest access to /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php?action=fusion_form_submit_ajax using a non-authenticated request (curl -I https://YOURSITE/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php?action=fusion_form_submit_ajax)Affected if The endpoint responds and accepts unauthenticated requests (HTTP 200 response)
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Check for suspicious access patterns in server logsReview web server access logs (Apache/nginx) for requests to admin-ajax.php with fusion_privacy_expiration_interval and privacy_expiration_action parameters, especially with path traversal sequences like ../Affected if Such requests are found in the logs indicating exploitation attempts
The environment is affected if Avada Fusion Builder version 3.15.3 or earlier is installed with the forms functionality enabled and the AJAX endpoint remains accessible to unauthenticated users.
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.
dbcve · scopedUpdate to the latest version of Avada when available, or if no patched version exists, disable the Avada forms functionality until a fix is released. Additionally, ensure wp-config.php and other critical files have restricted permissions.
Avada (Fusion) Builder version 3.15.4 or later
- 1. Update the Avada (Fusion) Builder plugin to version 3.15.4 or later via WordPress admin dashboard (Plugins > Updates)
- 2. Verify the update was successful by checking the plugin version in Plugins list
- 3. Confirm that any published Avada forms with database entry storage have appropriate privacy settings reviewed
- 4. Audit recently submitted form entries for any suspicious path-traversal payloads in the wp-content/uploads/fusion-forms/ directory
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation6.0 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 $4,544.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2026-8713 — 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-2026-8713 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
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- 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