Certain vBulletin versions might allow attackers to execute arbitrary PHP code by abusing Template Conditionals in the template engine.
Noroxi assessment
Priority: This week (action score 60/100)
- A ready-made attack module is public (Metasploit, Nuclei); exploiting it takes no special expertise.
- A ready-made attack tool exists and the flaw can be exploited over the network without an account, so priority is at least “This week”.
- Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days: 57.6% (FIRST EPSS); higher than 99% of all records.
- Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it. No account or password is required. No user action is required. Special conditions such as timing or configuration are required.
- According to the record, no fixed version is available yet.
Don’t wait for the next maintenance window. Until a fix is released, restrict access to the affected component and follow the vendor's advisory.
Generated automatically from the record's data: CVSS (NVD and CNA), CISA KEV and SSVC, FIRST EPSS, exploit sources, fixed versions. How we calculate it
Primary sources: NVD · CVE.org · FIRST EPSS
Certain vBulletin versions might allow attackers to execute arbitrary PHP code by abusing Template Conditionals in the template engine. By crafting template code in an alternative PHP function invocation syntax, such as the "var_dump"("test") syntax, attackers can bypass security checks and execute arbitrary PHP code, as exploited in the wild in May 2025.
- Published
- May 27, 2025
- Updated
- Jun 17, 2026
- EPSS
- 57.6% · 99th percentile
- CWE
- CWE-424
Report tools
Action score
60
This week
Don’t wait for the next maintenance window.
- CVSS
- 32 / 40 · 8.1 / 10
- CISA KEV
- 0 / 30 · Not listed
- EPSS
- 17 / 30 · 57.6%
- Ready-made attack tool
- 11 / 60 · floor: at least 60
CISA SSVC decision
- Exploitation
- proof of concept
- Automatable
- no
- Technical impact
- total
Vulnrichment: CISA's decision-tree inputs.
CNA vs NVD score
- NVD
- 8.1
- CNA · mitre
- 9.0
- 0.9 point gap
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
The score given by the assigning authority versus NVD’s independent score. A gap means the severity is contested.
Get told when this record changes
- Not in KEV: no record of exploitation in the wild
- Weaponized exploit exists
- No fixed version yet
If any of these changes, we'll tell you in the daily email digest.
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Noroxi analysis
What does it mean in your environment?
The assessment above is generated automatically from the record's data; it doesn't know your environment. Our team verifies on your systems whether this vulnerability is actually exploitable and which mitigation is enough.
We use this product, ask for helpAffected systems
Is your version affected?
Pick the product and type the version you run. It's compared with this record's version ranges in your browser; the version isn't sent anywhere.
| Vendor | Product | CPE |
|---|---|---|
| vbulletin | vbulletin | cpe:2.3:a:vbulletin:vbulletin |
Affected versions
NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.
- vbulletin vbulletin6.0.3
Versions reported by the vendor
Affected version ranges reported by the assigning authority (mitre). Independent of NVD's CPE analysis and usually ahead of it.
vBulletin vBulletin
- 6.0.3affected
Same product
vbulletin: all recordsOther highest-scoring records for the same primary product.
- CVE-2019-16759vBulletin 5.x through 5.5.4 allows remote command execution via the widgetConfig[code] parameter in an ajax/render/widget_php routestring reKEV99Now
- CVE-2020-17496vBulletin 5.5.4 through 5.6.2 allows remote command execution via crafted subWidgets data in an ajax/render/widget_tabbedcontainer_tab_panelKEV95Now
- CVE-2020-12720vBulletin before 5.5.6pl1, 5.6.0 before 5.6.0pl1, and 5.6.1 before 5.6.1pl1 has incorrect access control.66This week
Published before and after this one in the same product
- ← EarlierCVE-2023-39777Sep 15, 2023 · A cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the Admin Control Panel of vBulletin 5.7.5 and 6.0.0 allows attackers to execute arbitrary web21Monitor
- ← EarlierCVE-2025-48827May 27, 2025 · vBulletin 5.0.0 through 5.7.5 and 6.0.0 through 6.0.3 allows unauthenticated users to invoke protected API controllers' methods when running62This week
- Later →CVE-2025-46171Jul 23, 2025 · vBulletin 3.8.7 is vulnerable to a denial-of-service condition via the misc.php?do=buddylist endpoint.21Monitor
Remediation
Which version to upgrade to
Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.
No fix version is recorded for this entry. Check the references for vendor advisories.
Exploit status
Weaponized
A ready exploit tool or active in-the-wild use is known for this vulnerability. This should be your top priority.
Evidence
- Metasploit module ×1
- Nuclei detection template ×1
- Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub ×1
Noroxi does not host or link to exploit code. Metasploit module names and Nuclei template ids are shown (names, not code); Exploit-DB entries and PoC repositories are given as counts only.
| Source | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Metasploit module | exploit/multi/http/vbulletin_replace_ad_template_rcevBulletin replaceAdTemplate Remote Code Executionexploit | 2025-05-23 |
| Nuclei detection template | Nuclei template CVE-2025-48828 | — |
| Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub | stars:0 | 2025-06-25 |
Research context
For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.
Timeline
From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.
- Metasploit-4 d
- Published
- First PoC+29 d
- TodayOct 19, 2026+510 d
FIRST EPSS daily score; only changes of 0.01 or more are recorded (step chart).
Patch and commit links
Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.
No commit or PR link among the references.
Credits
All researchersFinders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.
No credits in the CNA record.
Variant candidates
Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.
- CVE-2025-488270 days apartvBulletin 5.0.0 through 5.7.5 and 6.0.0 through 6.0.3 allows unauthenticated users to invoke protected API controllers' methods when running62This week
Chain candidates
An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.
—
Bug bounty scope
No known public program.
Source: bounty-targets-data (public HackerOne, Bugcrowd, Intigriti, YesWeHack listings).
Technical details
Attack conditions
- Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it.
- No account or password is required.
- No user action is required.
- Special conditions such as timing or configuration are required.
If successful
- Confidentiality
- high · data can be read
- Integrity
- high · data or configuration can be modified
- Availability
- high · the service can be disrupted
- Attack vector
- Network
- Attack complexity
- High
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality impact
- High
- Integrity impact
- High
- Availability impact
- High
Weakness class (CWE)
CWE-424 · Improper Protection of Alternate PathCVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
nvd-primary
Attack context
MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.
Attack patterns (CAPEC)
ATT&CK techniques
Change log
No changes recorded on tracked fields yet. Score, KEV, exploit maturity and fix status changes appear here.
References
Show all references (1 more)Show less
Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.