Cyber Resilience

CVE-2024-6386

RCE in Wpml ≤ 4.6.13

Public PoCRCE
Published
21 August 2024
Modified
08 April 2026
Patch / advisory
CVSS Score v3.1 9.9
Click a component to see what it means
Raw vectorCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
EPSS Score 0.26 98th percentile
Risk Priority 94 floored blend · peak EPSS

Summary

CVE-2024-6386 is a critical-severity Improper Neutralization of Special Elements Used in a Template Engine (CWE-1336) vulnerability in Wpml Wpml. Its CVSS base score is 9.9 (Critical).

Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Template Injection (T1221); ranked in the top 2% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog; a public proof-of-concept is referenced.

The strongest mitigations our analysis identified map to SA-11 (Developer Testing and Evaluation) and SI-10 (Information Input Validation) — see the control section below for these in your framework.

Deeper analysis AI-assisted summary

Synthesised by an AI model from the NVD description and linked references — a reading aid, not an authoritative source.

The WPML plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to remote code execution in all versions through 4.6.12. The flaw stems from missing input validation and sanitization in the render function, enabling Twig server-side template injection. The issue is tracked as CVE-2024-6386 with a CVSS 3.1 score of 9.9 and is associated with CWE-1336 and CWE-94.

Authenticated attackers holding Contributor-level access or higher can exploit the vulnerability over the network to execute arbitrary code on the server. The attack requires no user interaction and can impact confidentiality, integrity, and availability with a scope change.

The current EPSS score stands at 0.7391 after reaching a peak of 0.7535. Reference materials are available from the vendor at wpml.org and from Wordfence and other researchers detailing the issue.

OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)

EU & UK References

Vulnerability Data

The WPML plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Remote Code Execution in all versions up to, and including, 4.6.12 via Twig Server-Side Template Injection. This is due to missing input validation and sanitization on the render function. This makes it…

more

possible for authenticated attackers, with Contributor-level access and above, to execute code on the server.

CWE(s)

Related Threats

MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques

T1221 Template Injection Stealth
Adversaries may create or modify references in user document templates to conceal malicious code or force authentication attempts.
T1059 Command and Scripting Interpreter Execution
Adversaries may abuse command and script interpreters to execute commands, scripts, or binaries.
T1059.001 PowerShell Execution
Adversaries may abuse PowerShell commands and scripts for execution.
T1059.002 AppleScript Execution
Adversaries may abuse AppleScript for execution.
T1059.004 Unix Shell Execution
Adversaries may abuse Unix shell commands and scripts for execution.
T1059.005 Visual Basic Execution
Adversaries may abuse Visual Basic (VB) for execution.
Derived from this CVE’s CWE(s) via the direct CWE→ATT&CK cross-walk.

CVEs Like This One

CVE-2025-3488Same product: Wpml Wpml
CVE-2024-45053Shared CWE-1336, CWE-94
CVE-2026-54653Shared CWE-1336, CWE-94
CVE-2023-2259Shared CWE-1336, CWE-94
CVE-2023-47542Shared CWE-1336, CWE-94
CVE-2024-42356Shared CWE-1336, CWE-94
CVE-2024-23692Shared CWE-1336, CWE-94
CVE-2026-40602Shared CWE-1336, CWE-94
CVE-2025-65602Shared CWE-1336, CWE-94
CVE-2026-26026Shared CWE-1336, CWE-94

Affected Assets

wpml
wpml
≤ 4.6.13

Mitigating Controls

Control response

Prevent
Stop it (NIST 800-53)

Detect
Catch it (NIST detect / respond)

Harden
Shrink the surface (DISA STIG)

Validate
Prove the fix (OWASP ASVS)
  • V1.3.2
  • V1.3.7
  • V1.3.10
  • V1.3.1

Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5) AI

Developer testing and static analysis can discover missing neutralization of template directives.

Input validation rejects or sanitizes untrusted data before it reaches the template engine, stopping injection of special syntax.

Least privilege limits the damage an injected code fragment can perform once executed.

Requiring documented secure development standards and tools enforces use of safe code-generation APIs and escaping.

Security engineering principles require use of safe templating APIs and proper escaping of external input.

Mitigating Controls (NIST CSF 2.0) AI

Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→CSF cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.

PR.PS-06 mostly match
prevents

Secure SDLC practices directly require proper input neutralization in template engines to prevent injection.

PR.DS-10 none match
prevents

PR.DS-10 protects runtime data confidentiality/integrity but has no bearing on neutralizing externally influenced input during code generation, so neither direction shows any preventive effect.

Mitigating Controls (ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A) AI

Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→ISO cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.

finds

Security testing can detect template-injection flaws but does not itself implement neutralization controls.

prevents

Secure development life cycle mandates input validation and sanitization that directly prevents template-injection weaknesses.

prevents

Application security requirements explicitly call for neutralizing special elements in template engines.

prevents

Secure architecture principles reduce the likelihood of unsafe template processing but do not prescribe specific neutralization techniques.

prevents

Secure coding standards require proper escaping or sandboxing of template directives, directly mitigating CWE-1336.

none

Controls that restrict unauthorized or malicious code from being introduced via external networks or removable media limit opportunities for an attacker to inject and execute arbitrary code.

References