CVE-2026-78159: CWE-94 Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection') in stellarwp The Events Calendar
The The Events Calendar plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Remote Code Execution in all versions up to, and including, 6.17.3 via the parse_array function. This is due to insufficient validation of the widget 'classes' map, allowing a plain-array payload to bypass the is_safe_widget_instance() object check and reach the callable-invocation sink in Element_Classes::parse_array(). This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to execute code on the server. Exploitation requires that the targeted site has comments enabled on tribe_events posts and that at least one comment containing a crafted wp:legacy-widget block has been submitted, as the attack chain is triggered when do_blocks() processes the single-event HTML including the comment area.
AI Analysis
Technical Summary
CVE-2026-78159 is a critical remote code execution vulnerability in the The Events Calendar WordPress plugin (versions up to and including 6.17.3). The flaw exists in the parse_array function of Element_Classes, where insufficient validation of the widget 'classes' map allows a plain-array payload to bypass the is_safe_widget_instance() check and reach a callable-invocation sink. An unauthenticated attacker can exploit this by submitting a crafted wp:legacy-widget block in a comment on tribe_events posts, triggering code execution when the do_blocks() function processes the single-event HTML including the comment area.
Potential Impact
Successful exploitation allows unauthenticated remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on the server hosting the vulnerable WordPress site. This can lead to full compromise of the affected system, including data theft, site defacement, or further attacks. The CVSS v3.1 score is 9.8 (critical), reflecting the high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability.
Mitigation Recommendations
No patch links or vendor advisory are provided in the input data. Patch status is not yet confirmed — check the vendor advisory for current remediation guidance. Until a fix is available, consider disabling comments on tribe_events posts or removing wp:legacy-widget blocks from comments to mitigate exploitation risk.
CVE-2026-78159: CWE-94 Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection') in stellarwp The Events Calendar
Description
The The Events Calendar plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Remote Code Execution in all versions up to, and including, 6.17.3 via the parse_array function. This is due to insufficient validation of the widget 'classes' map, allowing a plain-array payload to bypass the is_safe_widget_instance() object check and reach the callable-invocation sink in Element_Classes::parse_array(). This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to execute code on the server. Exploitation requires that the targeted site has comments enabled on tribe_events posts and that at least one comment containing a crafted wp:legacy-widget block has been submitted, as the attack chain is triggered when do_blocks() processes the single-event HTML including the comment area.
CVSS v3.1
Score 9.8critical
Affected software
stellarwp
The Events Calendar
Weaknesses
AI-Powered Analysis
Machine-generated threat intelligence
Technical Analysis
CVE-2026-78159 is a critical remote code execution vulnerability in the The Events Calendar WordPress plugin (versions up to and including 6.17.3). The flaw exists in the parse_array function of Element_Classes, where insufficient validation of the widget 'classes' map allows a plain-array payload to bypass the is_safe_widget_instance() check and reach a callable-invocation sink. An unauthenticated attacker can exploit this by submitting a crafted wp:legacy-widget block in a comment on tribe_events posts, triggering code execution when the do_blocks() function processes the single-event HTML including the comment area.
Potential Impact
Successful exploitation allows unauthenticated remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on the server hosting the vulnerable WordPress site. This can lead to full compromise of the affected system, including data theft, site defacement, or further attacks. The CVSS v3.1 score is 9.8 (critical), reflecting the high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability.
Mitigation Recommendations
No patch links or vendor advisory are provided in the input data. Patch status is not yet confirmed — check the vendor advisory for current remediation guidance. Until a fix is available, consider disabling comments on tribe_events posts or removing wp:legacy-widget blocks from comments to mitigate exploitation risk.
Technical Details
- Data Version
- 5.2
- Assigner Short Name
- Wordfence
- Date Reserved
- 2026-08-23T11:39:39.155Z
- Cvss Version
- 3.1
- State
- PUBLISHED
Threat ID: 6aa5037555bf5e2cf506c913
Added to database: 09/12/2026, 07:47:01 UTC
Last enriched: 09/12/2026, 08:01:37 UTC
Last updated: 09/13/2026, 04:01:22 UTC
Views: 42
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