CVE-2017-20289
Broadstreet Ad Widget plugin for WordPress 2.2.0 before 2.12.0 contains a local file inclusion vulnerability that allows authenticated users to execute attacker-chosen PHP files by passing unsanitized input to require in views/modal/index.php.
Does this matter?
High impact if exploited, but EPSS currently rates exploitation as unlikely (0.93%). Schedule it in the normal patch cycle and watch for a rise in EPSS or a public exploit.
Description
Broadstreet Ad Widget plugin for WordPress 2.2.0 before 2.12.0 contains a local file inclusion vulnerability that allows authenticated users to execute attacker-chosen PHP files by passing unsanitized input to require in views/modal/index.php. Attackers can supply directory traversal sequences in the 'step' parameter, optionally with a null byte, to include local files and execute PHP code. Exploitation evidence was first observed by the Shadowserver Foundation on 2023-10-19.
- CVSS 4.0
- 7.7 HIGHCVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/M
- EPSS
- 0.93% probability · 60th percentile
- Public exploits
- None in Exploit-DB
- CISA KEV
- Not listed
- Weakness
- CWE-98
- Source
- disclosure@vulncheck.com
EPSS moved from 0.8% on 23 October 2026 to 0.9% on 27 October 2026.
References
- https://cxsecurity.com/issue/WLB-2017100084
- https://github.com/projectdiscovery/nuclei-templates/blob/main/http/vulnerabilities/wordpress/ad-widget-lfi.yaml
- https://packetstorm.news/files/id/144553/
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/changeset/1628751/ad-widget
- https://wordpress.org/plugins/ad-widget/
- https://wpscan.com/vulnerability/caca21fe-56bf-4d4c-afc8-4a218e52f0a2
- https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/broadstreet-ad-widget-wordpress-plugin-2.12.0-local-file-inclusion-via-step-parameter
Source: NVD record, EPSS from FIRST.org, KEV from CISA, exploits from Exploit-DB. Refreshed daily. Download this record as JSON.