Reported vulnerability

W3 Total Cache <= 2.8.12 - Unauthenticated Command Injection

Q: Which versions of W3 Total Cache are affected?

Wordfence lists these affected versions: Start version unspecified, through 2.8.12. Use the version checker above to compare your installed release with this report.

Q: Is a fix available for W3 Total Cache?

Wordfence reports a fix for this issue in W3 Total Cache. It lists these fixed versions: 2.8.13. Back up your website and test the recommended update before applying it to your live site.

Q: Where can I find my installed plugin version?

In WordPress, open Plugins > Installed Plugins and find the version shown beneath the plugin name.

Published 27 Oct 2025

Updated 20 Nov 2025

CVE-2025-9501

Compare your installed software with the affected versions below. Follow the source’s remediation guidance and test an available update after taking a backup. A database entry describes a reported issue; it does not establish whether a particular website has been compromised.

Does this affect my version?

Check your installed version against this advisory. This compares the report’s version ranges and does not scan your website.

Wordfence advisory

high · CVSS 8.1

The W3 Total Cache plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Remote Code Execution in all versions up to, and including, 2.8.12 via _parse_dynamic_mfunc . This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to execute code on the server when comments are enabled and a post has been incorrectly injected with the mfunc tags. Please note we consider this to be a theoretical issue, and as such we rejected the original report from the researcher who then submitted this to WPScan. WPScan assigned a CVE ID, but we do not agree that this is a true security vulnerability. Exploitation of this issue is theoretical and requires gaining access to a secret value much like gaining access to a password.

Severity vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

W3 Total Cache

Software: plugin · w3-total-cache
Affected versions: Start version unspecified, through 2.8.12
Fix availability: Fix available
Fixed versions: 2.8.13

Recommended action

Update to version 2.8.13, or a newer patched version

Further references (1)

wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/7cd8f7da-86d4-4e58-8ce8-f1d147fdcdcc?source=api-prod

Data sources and licences

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Read licence terms

CVE Usage: MITRE hereby grants you a perpetual, worldwide, non-exclusive, no-charge, royalty-free, irrevocable copyright license to reproduce, prepare derivative works of, publicly display, publicly perform, sublicense, and distribute Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE®). Any copy you make for such purposes is authorized provided that you reproduce MITRE's copyright designation and this license in any such copy.

Read licence terms

Source: Wordfence

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Questions about this vulnerability

Which versions of W3 Total Cache are affected?

Wordfence lists these affected versions: Start version unspecified, through 2.8.12. Use the version checker above to compare your installed release with this report.

Is a fix available for W3 Total Cache?

Wordfence reports a fix for this issue in W3 Total Cache. It lists these fixed versions: 2.8.13. Back up your website and test the recommended update before applying it to your live site.

Where can I find my installed plugin version?

In WordPress, open Plugins > Installed Plugins and find the version shown beneath the plugin name.

Does an affected version mean my website has been hacked?

An affected version means the installed release matches a vulnerability described in this report. It does not show whether anyone has exploited it on your website. The checker compares version numbers with stored reports; it does not inspect your website.

These reports cover at least one of the same plugins, themes or WordPress core. Check each report’s affected versions separately.

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