CVE-2026-6261

Betheme <= 28.4 - Authenticated (Author+) Arbitrary File Upload to Remote Code Execution via Icon Pack Upload

2026-05-04 22:35
Webbernaut

Strategic Overview

Status
Patched in 28.4.1
Affected Theme
Betheme
Affected Version
<= 28.4
CVSS
8.8High
Weakness type
CWE-434 · Unrestricted Upload of File with Dangerous Type
CVE
CVE-2026-6261
View all Betheme vulnerabilities

At a glance

CVE-2026-6261 is a high-severity Unrestricted Upload of File with Dangerous Type vulnerability in the Betheme WordPress theme, affecting versions <= 28.4. It carries a CVSS score of 8.8 (reachable over the network; low attack complexity; high confidentiality, integrity, availability impact). Exploitation requires an authenticated account at Author level or above. The issue is fixed in version 28.4.1; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed May 2026, reported by Webbernaut.

Vulnerability Overview

The Betheme theme for WordPress is vulnerable to Arbitrary File Upload in versions up to, and including, 28.4. This is due to the upload_icons() function workflow moving and unzipping user-controlled ZIP files into a public uploads directory without validating extracted file types. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with author-level access and above, to upload arbitrary files (including PHP) and achieve remote code execution via the Icons icon-pack upload flow.

Technical Analysis

The vector marks this flaw as remotely reachable over the network, with low attack complexity — no special timing or configuration is needed, and no interaction from a victim user. A successful exploit has high impact on confidentiality, integrity, availability — full site compromise territory.

CWE-434: Unrestricted Upload of File with Dangerous Type

Betheme <= 28.4 carries this weakness at upload_icons(), and reaching it takes an account at Author level or above. An unrestricted file upload lets a caller store a file whose type or destination the application does not properly constrain.

If an uploaded file lands anywhere the server will execute, the flaw becomes remote code execution and the site should be treated as fully compromised. For Betheme the fix is 28.4.1: builds <= 28.4 are affected, anything from 28.4.1 onward is not.

Remediation

Update to version 28.4.1, or a newer patched version

How does WordSec protect against this?

An attacker needs Author access first, so the firewall sees the attempt as traffic from a logged-in account: WordSec's web application firewall inspects request payloads before WordPress loads them. Classes like this one can leave something behind, so the staged malware scanner is the second half: it looks for dropped files and modified code rather than for the request that created them. None of that substitutes for the fix: Betheme 28.4.1 closes this, and updating the theme is the step that ends it.

  • Firewall
  • Scanner
  • Alerts

External References

https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-6261https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/722c04c3-8f74-4081-b3a4-cb1ae2027312https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-6261

Related records

Vulnerability data © Defiant, Inc., provided under the Wordfence Intelligence T&C