CVE-2026-17580 in Advanced Views Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 08/01/2026
The Advanced Views – Display Custom Fields (ACF, Pods, MetaBox), Posts, CPT and Woo Products anywhere in Gutenberg, Elementor, Divi, Beaver… plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Sensitive Information Exposure in all versions up to, and including, 3.9.1 via the register_rest_routes. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with subscriber-level access and above, to extract sensitive admin-authored editor content — including template markup, CSS code, JavaScript code, and PHP controller variables — for any Layout or Post Selection post on the site.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/01/2026
This vulnerability exists within a popular WordPress plugin designed to extend content management capabilities through custom fields and layout rendering across multiple page builders. The issue stems from improper access controls within the plugin's REST API endpoints, specifically in the register_rest_routes functionality that handles data exposure for various content types including posts, custom post types, and WooCommerce products. Attackers with subscriber-level privileges or higher can exploit this weakness to gain unauthorized access to administrative content that should remain protected.
The technical flaw manifests as a lack of proper authentication and authorization checks within the plugin's REST API implementation. When legitimate users with minimal permissions attempt to access specific endpoints, the system fails to verify whether the requesting user has appropriate clearance to view the sensitive data being returned. This creates an information disclosure vulnerability where administrative content such as template markup, CSS styling rules, JavaScript functions, and PHP controller variables become accessible through crafted API requests.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant for WordPress sites utilizing the affected plugin, particularly those with multiple user roles or public-facing subscriber accounts. Attackers can extract complete layout configurations and code snippets that may contain sensitive implementation details, potentially revealing proprietary business logic or exposing weaknesses in the site's architecture. The exposure extends beyond simple content to include backend implementation specifics that could aid in developing more sophisticated attacks against the WordPress installation.
Security professionals should note this vulnerability aligns with CWE-200 (Information Exposure) and represents a privilege escalation vector through insufficient access control mechanisms. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this maps to T1213 (Data from Information Repositories) and potentially T1566 (Phishing with Social Engineering) if attackers use the extracted information for further compromise. The vulnerability affects any WordPress installation running version 3.9.1 or earlier of the plugin across various page builder environments including Gutenberg, Elementor, Divi, and Beaver Builder platforms.
Mitigation strategies should prioritize immediate plugin updates to versions beyond 3.9.1 where the access control issues have been resolved. Administrators should also implement additional security measures such as restricting REST API access for low-privilege users, monitoring API endpoint usage patterns, and conducting regular security audits of installed plugins. Network-level controls including firewall rules that limit access to REST endpoints can provide additional defense-in-depth layers while enforcing proper authentication requirements for all content requests.
Organizations should also consider implementing role-based access controls that restrict which user levels can interact with specific plugin functionalities, particularly those involving content rendering and template management. Regular security assessments of WordPress plugin ecosystems remain crucial for identifying similar vulnerabilities across the entire application stack. The exposure of PHP variables and backend code structure through this vulnerability highlights the need for comprehensive security testing that includes API endpoint validation and access control verification during routine maintenance cycles.
This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper input validation and access control implementation within WordPress plugins, especially those handling content rendering and user interface customization features. The ability for low-privilege users to extract administrative content represents a serious breach in the principle of least privilege that should be enforced throughout all plugin functionalities. Security teams must ensure that all plugin installations undergo thorough security review processes before deployment, with particular attention paid to REST API implementations and their access control mechanisms.
The exposed information could potentially enable attackers to craft targeted attacks against specific site configurations or identify additional vulnerabilities within the broader WordPress ecosystem. This makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous in environments where multiple plugins interact with shared data structures or where administrative content reveals implementation details that could be leveraged for privilege escalation attacks. Regular monitoring of plugin update releases and maintaining awareness of security advisories from both WordPress core and individual plugin developers remains essential for preventing exploitation of such information disclosure vulnerabilities.
Organizations should also establish incident response procedures specifically addressing API-based information exposure events, ensuring that administrators can quickly identify compromised endpoints and implement necessary mitigations. The combination of subscriber-level access with elevated content exposure capabilities creates a particularly concerning threat vector that requires immediate remediation efforts to prevent potential data breaches or further compromise of WordPress installations.