---
title: "WEB-CMS-007 WordPress Dashboard File Editor Enabled"
canonical: https://openvapt.com/checks/WEB-CMS-007.html
html: https://openvapt.com/checks/WEB-CMS-007.html
site: OpenVAPT, https://openvapt.com/
license: OpenVAPT Source-Available Licence 1.3, https://openvapt.com/legal/licence-text.html
modified: 2026-10-14
version: 0.1.0-alpha.6
---

# WEB-CMS-007 WordPress Dashboard File Editor Enabled

Checks whether wp-config.php leaves the built-in theme and plugin file editor enabled.

- Domain: Web Apps
- Severity: Low
- Control category: Secure Configuration
- Fix effort: low
- CVSS v3.1 vector: `CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N`
- CIS Controls v8: 16.7
- NIST CSF 2.0: PR.PS-01
- CWE: CWE-94, CWE-1188
- OWASP Top 10 2021: A05:2021
- NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5: CM-7, AC-6

## Why It Matters

The editor lets any administrator account change PHP files from the browser. A stolen or phished admin session then becomes code execution on the server in one step.

## How It Detects

Reads each wp-config.php found through the web roots and fails unless DISALLOW_FILE_EDIT or DISALLOW_FILE_MODS is defined as true.

## How to Fix

Add define('DISALLOW_FILE_EDIT', true); to wp-config.php above the line that says to stop editing.

## How to Verify

```
The Theme File Editor and Plugin File Editor menus disappear from the dashboard.
```

## Learn the Theory

- [P6 Information Exposure and Misconfiguration](https://openvapt.com/academy/p6.md)
- [P14 CMS Hardening in Depth: WordPress, Joomla and Drupal](https://openvapt.com/academy/p14.md)

## References

- [WordPress Developer Resources, Hardening WordPress](https://developer.wordpress.org/advanced-administration/security/hardening/)
- [WordPress Developer Resources, Editing wp-config.php](https://developer.wordpress.org/advanced-administration/wordpress/wp-config/)

## Source Code

https://github.com/OpenVAPT/openvapt/blob/574f7f3333c44b75a3c649e2d93a76d507f75adf/internal/checks/web/cms_more.go

Run it: `openvapt scan --only WEB-CMS-007`. Read it offline: `openvapt explain WEB-CMS-007`.

---

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