What it is
CVE-2026-60137 is an unauthenticated vulnerability affecting WordPress WordPress. WordPress 6.8.x before 6.8.6, 6.9.x before 6.9.5, and 7.0.x before 7.0.2 does not properly sanitise the author__not_in parameter of...
Vulnerability report
WordPress < 7.0.2 Facilitated SQL Injection
WordPress / WordPress · affected before 6.8.6
Decision summary
Direct answers before the deeper technical record.
What it is
CVE-2026-60137 is an unauthenticated vulnerability affecting WordPress WordPress. WordPress 6.8.x before 6.8.6, 6.9.x before 6.9.5, and 7.0.x before 7.0.2 does not properly sanitise the author__not_in parameter of...
Is it exploited?
Yes. KEV Intelligence tracks this CVE as a known exploited vulnerability. Confidence is confirmed.
Who is affected?
WordPress / WordPress affected before 6.8.6.
What should we do?
Prioritize remediation. Validate affected assets and apply vendor fixes on an accelerated timeline.
Overview
WordPress 6.8.x before 6.8.6, 6.9.x before 6.9.5, and 7.0.x before 7.0.2 does not properly sanitise the author__not_in parameter of WP_Query, which could allow SQL Injection when a plugin or theme passes untrusted input to the parameter.
Exploitation evidence
Third-party attestation and first-party sensor observation are shown separately so teams can judge the evidence chain.
PatchStack
Independent exploitation attestation added to the KEV Intelligence record.
GitHub
Public scanner or PoC coverage increases practical exploitability.
Per-source evidence links for KEV attestations are available through the KEV Intelligence Pro API.
Learn about Pro API access| Source | Added |
|---|---|
| Rapid7 First | 2026-07-17 22:23 UTC |
| PatchStack | 2026-07-18 15:32 UTC |
| Tenable Blog | 2026-07-20 13:36 UTC |
| Dark Reading | 2026-07-20 21:38 UTC |
| All CISA Advisories | 2026-07-21 12:00 UTC |
| CISA | 2026-07-21 14:32 UTC |
| CVE | 2026-07-21 16:01 UTC |
| BleepingComputer | 2026-07-21 16:41 UTC |
Detection
Make the evidence actionable in scanner, SOC, and edge-control workflows.
Raw values available in Pro and Enterprise.
No scanner integrations recorded yet.
No KEV Intelligence virtual patch is currently available. Future rules ship for ModSecurity, Cloudflare, and AWS WAF.
Learn about virtual patches →No detection artifacts or sensor request patterns are available for this CVE yet.
Check back as sensor telemetry and scanner integrations are updated.
Risk and context
CVSS v3.1
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
EPSS
73.1%
Recent mention · Rapid7
This wrap-up brings a full-on shell parade. Thirteen shiny new modules landed, starting with a buffet of RCEs. WordPress WP2Shell, Ghost CMS, Joomla JCE, Langflow, OpenCATS, Pterodactyl Panel, SonicWall SMA1000, Ray Dashboard, a Pix-for-WooCommerce, and for those who like...
Read full advisoryRecent mention · Rapid7
Metasploit Wrap Up: Lot of summer shells and fit http profilesRapid7 · 14 Aug 2026
This wrap-up brings a full-on shell parade. Thirteen shiny new modules landed, starting with a buffet of RCEs. WordPress WP2Shell, Ghost CMS, Joomla JCE, Langflow, OpenCATS, Pterodactyl Panel, SonicWall SMA1000, Ray Dashboard, a Pix-for-WooCommerce, and for those who like their exploits closer to the bare-metal, the Fragnesia Linux kernel LPE (CVE-2026-46300). Metasploit also got the glow-up of the summer with the new http malleable profiles, MCP functionality and linux multi fetch payloads (more details on the [official 6.5 release blog...
Recent mention · BleepingComputer
Critical wp2shell WordPress flaws exploited to install webshellsBleepingComputer · 21 Jul 2026
Hackers are exploiting the "wp2shell" critical vulnerability suite (CVE-2026-63030 and CVE-2026-60137) affecting WordPress Core to deploy persistent webshells and install malicious plugins on affected servers. [...]
Recent mention · All CISA Advisories
CISA Adds Four Known Exploited Vulnerabilities to CatalogAll CISA Advisories · 21 Jul 2026
CISA has added four new vulnerabilities to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) Catalog, based on evidence of active exploitation. CVE-2021-27137 DD-WRT Stack-Based Buffer Overflow Vulnerability CVE-2026-0770 Langflow Inclusion of Functionality from Untrusted Control Sphere Vulnerability CVE-2026-63030 WordPress Core Interpretation Conflict Vulnerability CVE-2026-60137 WordPress Core SQL Injection Vulnerability These types of vulnerabilities are frequent attack vectors for malicious cyber actors and pose significant risks to the federal enterprise. Binding Operational Directive...
Recent mention · TheHackerNews
WordPress wp2shell Exploitation Grows as Public Exploit Fuels Mass ScanningTheHackerNews · 21 Jul 2026
Attackers have begun to exploit two critical vulnerabilities in WordPress that, when combined together, enable unauthenticated remote code execution (RCE) and complete compromise of vulnerable websites. The two security flaws, tracked as CVE-2026-63030 and CVE-2026-60137, have been codenamed wp2shell. "By the early hours of Saturday morning (UTC), successful exploitation was already well
Recent mention · Dark Reading
'WP2Shell' Opens Millions of WordPress Sites to Remote TakeoverDark Reading · 20 Jul 2026
Barely three days after disclosure, attackers are widely chaining together CVE-2026-60137 and CVE-2026-63030 to lob exploit attempts against one of the largest attack surfaces on the Internet.
Recent mention · Tenable Blog
wp2shell (CVE-2026-63030, CVE-2026-60137): Frequently asked questions about remote code execution chain in WordPress CoreTenable Blog · 20 Jul 2026
An unauthenticated attacker can chain two WordPress Core vulnerabilities, CVE-2026-63030 and CVE-2026-60137, to achieve remote code execution against affected WordPress installations. Multiple security firms have confirmed active in-the-wild exploitation within days of public disclosure, and public proof-of-concept exploits are circulating.Key takeaways:Two WordPress Core vulnerabilities, CVE-2026-63030 and CVE-2026-60137, can be chained together to achieve pre-authentication remote code execution against WordPress 6.9.x and 7.0.x installations. Multiple security firms have confirmed...
Recent mention · Wordfence
PSA: WordPress Core Patched Unauthenticated Remote Code Execution Vulnerability ChainWordfence · 17 Jul 2026
On July 17, 2026, the WordPress Security Team released updates to WordPress core addressing two security vulnerabilities. The first is an unauthenticated SQL injection vulnerability identified as CVE-2026-60137, while the second can be chained with the SQL injection to increase its impact to unauthenticated remote code execution and is identified as CVE-2026-63030. To protect WordPress ...Read More The post PSA: WordPress Core Patched Unauthenticated Remote Code Execution Vulnerability Chain appeared first on Wordfence.
Recent mention · Rapid7
CVE-2026-63030: wp2shell a Critical Remote Code Execution Vulnerability in WordPress CoreRapid7 · 17 Jul 2026
OverviewOn July 17, 2026, a GitHub Security Advisory was published for CVE-2026-63030, a critical unauthenticated remote code execution vulnerability affecting WordPress Core. While the official GitHub security advisory classifies the severity as Critical, the vulnerability has currently been assigned a CVSS score of 7.5. WordPress is one of the most widely deployed content management systems, making vulnerabilities in its core software potentially significant for organizations operating public-facing websites. The vulnerability reportedly allows an unauthenticated attacker to execute code...
These PoCs are unverified and could contain malware. Use at your own risk.
github · Created 2026-08-05 00:11:15 UTC · 0 stars · AI assessment 90%
Non-destructive proof-of-concept and verification harness for CVE-2026-60137, a blind SQL injection in WordPress core (`WP_Query::author__not_in`), reachable via the REST API's `author_exclude` parameter.
github · Created 2026-08-03 08:39:55 UTC · 0 stars · AI assessment 90%
wpsqli full SQLi extractor + dumper for CVE-2026-60137
Timeline
Public proof-of-concept code published
Exploitation attested by an external source
Exploitation attested by an external source
Listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog
Exploitation attested by an external source
Exploitation attested by an external source
Exploitation attested by an external source
Exploitation attested by an external source
High-confidence, third-party attested exploitation
Vulnerability disclosed publicly
Identifier reserved by the CNA
Pro API
Confidence, exploit status, sensor telemetry, PoCs, scanner integrations, mentions, and tags are available programmatically for VM, SOC, and CTI workflows.
GET /api/v2/pro/kevs/CVE-2026-60137
Free JSON includes basic KEV fields{
"cve_id": "CVE-2026-60137",
"confidence": "Confirmed",
"cvss_score": 5.9,
"cvss_estimated": false,
"epss_score": 0.731,
"exploit_status": {
"exploited_in_the_wild": true,
"active_exploitation_observed": false
},
"sensor_telemetry": { "attempts": 0, "sensors": 0 }
}
Early warning alerts
Receive curator-selected alerts when exploitation activity warrants attention. Each alert includes the evidence and context needed to decide what requires attention now.