Unauthenticated access to protected API methods
Published May 27, 2025 · Updated May 27, 2025
Improper access control in vBulletin 5.0.0 through 5.7.5 and 6.0.0 through 6.0.3 allows remote attackers to invoke protected API methods. vB_Api_Wrapper::callNamed routes a user-selected method to vB_Api::callNamed, which calls ReflectionMethod::invokeArgs without enforcing method visibility. Exposure requires PHP 8.1 or later; reachable protected methods can alter templates and enable arbitrary code execution when chained with template injection.
Summary
What happened
Improper access control in vBulletin 5.0.0 through 5.7.5 and 6.0.0 through 6.0.3 allows remote attackers to invoke protected API methods. vB_Api_Wrapper::callNamed routes a user-selected method to vB_Api::callNamed, which calls ReflectionMethod::invokeArgs without enforcing method visibility. Exposure requires PHP 8.1 or later; reachable protected methods can alter templates and enable arbitrary code execution when chained with template injection.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2025-48827
- Published
- May 27, 2025
- Updated
- May 27, 2025
- Vendor
- vBulletin
- Product
- vBulletin
- Classifications
- CWE-424, T1190
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- May 1, 2025Exploitation reportedExploitation in the wild during May 2025
- May 27, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- May 27, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=5.0.0 <=5.7.5
- Affected versionversion=6.0.0 <=6.0.3
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
- vBulletin replaceAdTemplate RCE proof of conceptfunctional · demonstrated
Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.
Reported exploitation
- Exploitation in the wild during May 2025reported exploitation
Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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