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WordPress adds automated security checks to block risky plugin releases

WordPress.org now automatically security-reviews every plugin release and blocks high-risk updates before distribution to millions of sites.

The WordPress Official Plugin Repository Team launched an automated security review that scores each plugin and theme release during a six-hour cooldown, combining analysis from several AI models and Jetpack Scan, and automatically blocks releases deemed high risk. The change followed a July 28 detection of a backdoor committed to a release of a plugin with roughly 20,000 active installations; the release was withheld and the plugin closed for downloads 26 minutes after Wordfence notified the team. Blocked authors must fix findings and publish a new release scoring below the blocking threshold, or appeal to the Plugins Team.

Help Net Security·updated Sep 11, 16:33 UTC · 4d ago·first Sep 10, 10:06 UTC · 6d agoTools 7 sources

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Hackers Actively Exploit Critical WooCommerce Plugin Vulnerability to Upload PHP Backdoors

Attackers actively exploit CVE-2026-27540 (CVSS 9.8) in WooCommerce Wholesale Lead Capture plugin to upload PHP webshells; patch shipped in version 2.0.3.2.

CVE-2026-27540 (CVSS 9.8) in the WooCommerce Wholesale Lead Capture plugin affects versions 2.0.3.1 and earlier across roughly 6,000 active installations. The unauthenticated AJAX handler wwlc_file_upload_handler trusts a client-supplied file_settings allowlist, letting attackers upload shell.php for remote code execution. Wordfence has blocked more than 100,000 exploit attempts since disclosure, with spikes in June, July, and August 2026. The vendor fixed the flaw in version 2.0.3.2.

GBHackers·updated 05:48 UTC · 8h ago·first Sep 15, 12:05 UTC · 1d agoExploit / PoC in the wild 4 sourcesCVE-2026-27540

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WordPress Security Plugins: How to Choose the Right One

Sucuri's guide breaks WordPress security plugins into hardening, malware scanning, integrity monitoring, and filtering types, and explains how to evaluate and layer them.

The Sucuri guide explains that WordPress security plugins bundle five capabilities - hardening, malware detection, integrity monitoring, activity logging, and application-level filtering - and that plugins run only after WordPress loads, unlike server-level firewalls. It lists leading causes of compromise: outdated plugins and themes, weak or reused credentials, nulled premium software, insecure configuration, and shared-hosting cross-contamination. It concludes with evaluation criteria and a post-installation security checklist for owners without dedicated security teams.

Sucuri Blog·Sep 5, 03:01 UTC · 11d agoIndustry

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WordPress Plugins Compromised Without a Single File Change

Attackers poisoned bdThemes' JSON API feed to backdoor WordPress sites by serving malicious remote code without modifying plugin files.

Infosecurity Magazine reports a supply chain attack in which attackers poisoned a JSON feed used by bdThemes WordPress plugins. The compromised feed delivered malicious code that backdoored sites without changing any plugin files, evading file-integrity based detection. WordPress sites running the vendor's plugins were affected.

Infosecurity Magazine·Aug 10, 14:30 UTC · Aug 10, 2026Malware in the wild

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Attackers Actively Exploiting Critical Vulnerability in Super Forms Plugin

Attackers are actively exploiting a critical unauthenticated file upload flaw in the Super Forms WordPress plugin to deploy PHP backdoors for RCE.

Wordfence disclosed on July 9, 2026 a critical unauthenticated arbitrary file upload vulnerability in the Super Forms WordPress plugin, which has roughly 13,000 active installations. Unauthenticated attackers can upload arbitrary files, including PHP backdoors, to achieve remote code execution. The vendor now reports that attackers are actively exploiting the flaw in the wild.

Wordfence·Sep 3, 18:32 UTC · 12d agoExploit / PoC in the wild

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Plug 'n' Pray: Agentic LLM-based Detection of Potential Log File Exposures in Third-Party Content Management System Plugins

Agentic LLM analysis validates 79 log file exposures across 62 of the 300 most-installed WordPress plugins, covering 250M+ active installations.

Researchers built an agentic LLM-based framework combining static and dynamic analysis to automatically detect insecure log files created by WordPress plugins. Scanning the 300 most-installed plugins, which account for roughly 75% of all active installations in the official ecosystem, it produced 81 findings with 79 manually reproduced across 62 plugins. Insufficiently secured log files can disclose credentials and personal data and have led to website compromises. The authors derive a taxonomy of log path and protection patterns and best practices, finding multi-layered protection often absent.

arXiv cs.CR·Sep 15, 13:29 UTC · 1d agoResearch

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WordPress Adds Automated Plugin Reviews to Block High-Risk Updates Before Distribution

WordPress will automatically scan every plugin release and block high-risk updates from distribution using AI analysis plus Jetpack Scan.

WordPress announced automated security reviews for every plugin release during its cooldown period before distribution through the WordPress.org update API, combining AI models with Jetpack Scan into a security score. The system already caught a backdoor committed to a plugin with about 20,000 active installations on July 28, 2026, blocking it within 26 minutes of a Wordfence alert. Flagged patterns include missing capability checks, unsafe $wpdb queries, unserialize() on request data, and obfuscated code.

The Hacker News·Sep 14, 16:00 UTC · 1d agoTools

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Malcious Admin Menu Editor Pro plugin backdoors 1,500 WordPress sites

Compromised Admin Menu Editor Pro update server distributed backdoored plugin versions installing web shells and hidden admin accounts on roughly 1,500 WordPress sites.

A threat actor with root-level access to adminmenueditor.com pushed trojanized Admin Menu Editor Pro versions 2.35 and 2.36 containing includes/wp-user-consent.php, which installed a web shell and created a hidden wp_-prefixed user account. At least 230 customers and roughly 1,500 sites installed the malicious update, with several hundred more downloads possibly affected. Developer Janis Elsts took the site offline after the attacker recompromised the clean 2.36 release; version 2.34 and the free plugin are believed unaffected.

BleepingComputer·Sep 15, 20:34 UTC · 17h agoMalware in the wild1

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WordPress Plugin Flaw Exposes 40,000 Sites to Admin Takeover

A critical unauthenticated flaw in the User Profile Builder WordPress plugin exposed roughly 40,000 sites to administrator account takeover.

Infosecurity Magazine reports a critical flaw in the User Profile Builder WordPress plugin that let unauthenticated attackers access administrator accounts. Approximately 40,000 sites were exposed to full admin takeover as a result. The report did not specify a CVE identifier or state whether exploitation was observed in the wild.

Infosecurity Magazine·Aug 17, 13:30 UTC · Aug 17, 2026Vulnerability

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Attackers Actively Exploiting Critical Vulnerability in Elementor Pro Plugin

Attackers actively exploit a critical unauthenticated file upload flaw in Elementor Pro (6M+ installs), enabling remote code execution and site takeover.

Wordfence reports that attackers are actively exploiting a critical unauthenticated arbitrary file upload vulnerability in Elementor Pro, which it disclosed on August 19, 2026. The WordPress plugin has more than 6,000,000 active installations. Unauthenticated attackers can upload arbitrary files, including executable PHP files, leading to remote code execution and complete site takeover.

Wordfence·Sep 2, 15:07 UTC · 13d agoExploit / PoC in the wild

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Two CVSS 9.8 Auth Bypasses in miniOrange SAML WordPress Plugin Were Exploited Before Any Database Even Listed the Paid Editions as Vulnerable

Attackers actively exploit two CVSS 9.8 auth bypasses (CVE-2026-61979, CVE-2026-15981) in the miniOrange SAML WordPress plugin, forging SAML responses to become admin.

CVE-2026-61979 is a SAML algorithm confusion flaw that lets attackers sign forged assertions using the identity provider's RSA public key as an HMAC secret; CVE-2026-15981 stems from PHP treating openssl_verify()'s -1 error return as true, allowing a crafted signature that triggers an OpenSSL error to validate. Both bugs independently let unauthenticated attackers obtain WordPress administrator sessions and both are confirmed exploited in the wild. DigitalOcean discovered the exploitation via a network anomaly after public vulnerability databases covered only the Free edition (fixed in 5.4.5), leaving seven independently versioned paid editions appearing patched. Attackers are scanning SSO endpoints from six IPs in Belgium, Nigeria, the US and Germany, and paid-edition fixes require manual uploads across version lines.

Security Affairs·Aug 25, 16:43 UTC · 21d agoExploit / PoC in the wildCVE-2026-61979CVE-2026-15981

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Microsoft Copilot reveals secret input that allowed it to be hacked

Microsoft disclosed a hidden input in Copilot that let attackers steal passwords from users who clicked a crafted link.

Microsoft revealed that Copilot contained a secret, undocumented input parameter that allowed the assistant to be compromised. Attackers could abuse the hidden input to steal passwords when a target clicked a malicious link. The disclosure highlights hidden-parameter risks in widely deployed AI assistants.

Ars Technica · Security·Aug 18, 13:00 UTC · 29d agoAI safety & security in the wild1

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Attackers Actively Exploiting Critical Vulnerability in WooCommerce Wholesale Lead Capture Plugin

Attackers are actively exploiting an unauthenticated arbitrary file upload flaw in the WooCommerce Wholesale Lead Capture plugin, enabling PHP backdoors and remote code execution.

A critical unauthenticated arbitrary file upload vulnerability in WooCommerce Wholesale Lead Capture, a premium WordPress plugin with an estimated 6,000 active installations, was publicly disclosed on February 20, 2026. Wordfence reports attackers are now actively exploiting the flaw to upload arbitrary files, including PHP backdoors, and achieve remote code execution. No CVE ID was cited in the report.

Wordfence·Sep 14, 18:49 UTC · 1d agoExploit / PoC in the wild1

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[webapps] Blocksy Companion 2.1.46 - RCE

Public RCE exploit published for Blocksy Companion 2.1.46, a popular WordPress plugin by CreativeThemes.

Exploit-DB entry 52640 documents a remote code execution vulnerability in Blocksy Companion version 2.1.46, a widely installed WordPress page-building plugin. A public exploit allows attackers to achieve code execution on sites running the vulnerable plugin version. Administrators should verify the installed version and update if a patched release is available.

Exploit-DB·Aug 11, 00:00 UTC · Aug 11, 2026Exploit / PoC

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Jellyfin 12.0 security fixes arrive alongside the removal of legacy client logins

Jellyfin 12.0 ships security fixes for path traversal, first-run setup bypass, unsafe plugin names, and web client XSS, plus removal of legacy login paths.

Jellyfin 12.0 blocks requests built to reach files outside served folders, prevents setup-wizard re-runs on misconfigured servers, rejects unsafe plugin package names, and fixes web client cross-site scripting. The project published no CVE identifiers or severity ratings for the fixes. The release also drops legacy /emby/ and /mediabrowser/ endpoints, targets .NET 10, and breaks 10.11-era third-party plugins.

Help Net Security·Sep 8, 08:41 UTC · 8d agoVulnerability

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Wordfence Argus Finds Critical Authentication Bypass in WPMU DEV Dashboard Plugin

Wordfence researchers disclosed a critical unauthenticated authentication bypass in the WPMU DEV Dashboard plugin, enabling admin takeover and possible RCE.

During internal research on August 19, 2026, Wordfence discovered an authentication bypass in the WPMU DEV Dashboard WordPress plugin, which has roughly 350,000 active installations. Unauthenticated attackers can gain administrator access when Hub Single-Sign On is enabled, enabling complete site takeover. If an administrator-writable code mechanism such as the plugin or theme editor is available, the flaw can lead to remote code execution.

Wordfence·Aug 27, 17:41 UTC · 19d agoVulnerability

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Elementor Pro WordPress Plugin Vulnerability Exploited to Hack Sites

Attackers are actively exploiting critical file-upload flaw CVE-2026-32475 in Elementor Pro, hacking WordPress sites; Defiant has blocked over 190,000 exploit attempts since patching.

Defiant warns that attackers are exploiting CVE-2026-32475 (CVSS 9.8), an unauthenticated arbitrary file upload flaw in the Elementor Pro WordPress plugin's form submission handling, which affects all versions up to 4.2.1 and was patched in version 4.2.2 on August 19. Exploitation began immediately after the fix shipped, with Defiant blocking over 190,000 exploit attempts to date; roughly two-thirds of Elementor's 10 million installations still ran a vulnerable version as of September 4. Successful exploitation writes attacker-controlled PHP files to /wp-content/uploads/elementor/forms/ and can lead to full site compromise; administrators should check that directory for PHP files and review requests to /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php.

SecurityWeek·Sep 5, 13:00 UTC · 11d agoExploit / PoC in the wildCVE-2026-32475

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[webapps] Linuxfabrik monitoring_plugins_6.0.0 - SSRF

A public proof-of-concept exploit for an SSRF flaw in Linuxfabrik monitoring_plugins 6.0.0 appeared on Exploit-DB.

Exploit-DB listing 52653 discloses a server-side request forgery (SSRF) vulnerability in Linuxfabrik monitoring_plugins version 6.0.0, classified under web applications. A proof-of-concept exploit is publicly available. No CVE identifier or evidence of in-the-wild exploitation is provided in the listing.

Exploit-DB·Aug 18, 00:00 UTC · 29d agoExploit / PoC

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VU#943094: ONLYOFFICE ownCloud integration plugin contains a Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF) vulnerability

ONLYOFFICE's ownCloud integration plugin 9.12 has an SSRF flaw (CVE-2026-84282) letting authenticated admins probe internal networks; no patch exists yet.

CERT/CC published VU#943094 for a server-side request forgery in Ascensio System SIA's ONLYOFFICE ownCloud integration plugin version 9.12, tracked as CVE-2026-84282. The /apps/onlyoffice/ajax/settings/address endpoint does not validate the user-supplied document server URL, so an authenticated administrator can make the ownCloud server send arbitrary requests to localhost and internal hosts. Differences in error responses (connection failures vs SSL/TLS errors) let attackers enumerate open and closed TCP ports for internal reconnaissance. The vendor could not be reached, so no official patch is available; CERT recommends disabling the plugin and applying egress filtering until a fix ships.

CERT/CC Vulnerability Notes·Sep 8, 14:23 UTC · 7d agoVulnerabilityCVE-2026-84282

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Critical WordPress Plugin Flaws Put Over 600,000 Websites at Risk of Takeover

Two CVSS 9.8 flaws in The Events Calendar WordPress plugin expose 600,000+ sites to unauthenticated RCE and admin takeover.

Wordfence Argus discovered CVE-2026-78006 and CVE-2026-78159 (both CVSS 9.8) in StellarWP's The Events Calendar plugin, affecting over 600,000 active installations. CVE-2026-78006 exploits PHP object injection via crafted pending comments to execute OS commands; CVE-2026-78159 abuses a specially prepared array to call WordPress functions, enabling admin password resets and subsequent RCE. Both flaws are unauthenticated and patched in version 6.17.4.1, released after reports on August 21-22, 2026.

Cyber Security News·updated 11:32 UTC · 2h ago·first Sep 15, 10:01 UTC · 1d agoVulnerability 3 sourcesCVE-2026-78006CVE-2026-78159

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$20 per zero-day is already the WordPress plugin reality

TrendAI and CHT Security used an AI pipeline to find over 300 verified WordPress plugin zero-days at roughly $20 per vulnerability.

A pipeline built in three days by TrendAI and CHT Security, presented at Ekoparty Miami, paired AI-driven static analysis with automated Docker provisioning and Chrome DevTools MCP dynamic verification to surface more than 300 critical zero-days in WordPress plugins within 72 hours. The run consumed about 222 million tokens across 95 tasks, averaging roughly $20 per verified vulnerability, with findings including pre-auth RCE, SQL injection, privilege escalation, SSRF, and an AI-assembled downgrade attack chain. Dynamic verification eliminated over 80% of false positives, but manual review at 30-60 minutes per finding remains the bottleneck, straining ZDI and NIST triage backlogs.

Help Net Security·Aug 24, 04:21 UTC · 23d agoResearch1

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Grok exfiltrates user data when malicious instructions are encrypted

Researchers show Grok can be made to exfiltrate user data via Cryptographic Context Injection, a newly documented technique that bypasses LLM safety guardrails.

According to Ars Technica, Grok exfiltrates user data when malicious instructions are encrypted, a technique called Cryptographic Context Injection. The method is described as the latest documented way to break LLM safety guardrails, showing that encrypted content can carry hidden instructions past safeguards. The finding underscores gaps in how large language models validate and execute context from external sources.

Ars Technica · Security·Aug 20, 13:00 UTC · 27d agoAI safety & security1

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Hackers Exploit JFrog Artifactory Flaws to Bypass Authentication and Gain Admin Access

Wiz Research observes multiple attackers exploiting three JFrog Artifactory flaws, including default-configuration authentication bypass CVE-2026-82329, to gain admin access and deploy backdoors.

Attackers chain CVE-2026-42018 and CVE-2026-42016 to exchange anonymous JWTs for administrator-scoped tokens, or exploit CVE-2026-82329 directly via the registry join endpoint to obtain admin privileges under default configuration. Post-exploitation observed by Wiz includes persistent admin users created within five minutes, malicious Groovy plugins for command execution, and Rust-based backdoors dropped to /tmp, /var/tmp, and /dev/shm with C2 communications. Compromise exposes software artifacts, repository credentials, CI/CD integrations, and cluster secrets, creating supply chain risks. Fixed releases include 7.111.21, 7.117.28, 7.125.20, 7.133.29, 7.146.38, and 7.161.20.

GBHackers·updated Sep 14, 09:27 UTC · 2d ago·first Sep 11, 09:59 UTC · 5d agoExploit / PoC in the wild 7 sourcesCVE-2026-42016CVE-2026-42018CVE-2026-82329

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400,000 WordPress Sites Affected by Account Takeover Vulnerability in TranslatePress WordPress Plugin

Wordfence disclosed an unauthenticated account takeover flaw in the TranslatePress WordPress plugin, installed on over 400,000 sites, enabling full admin compromise.

On August 11, 2026, Wordfence received a submission for an unauthenticated account takeover vulnerability in TranslatePress, a WordPress plugin with more than 400,000 active installations. Unauthenticated attackers can obtain an administrator's password reset link, reset the account's password, and log in as that administrator. Full compromise of the affected site is possible without any authentication. Exploitation in the wild was not reported at disclosure.

Wordfence·Aug 25, 15:10 UTC · 21d agoVulnerability

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One Click on a Malicious Link Lets Hackers Backdoor Sogou Input Method Users

Actively exploited one-click flaw in Sogou Input Method (CVE-2026-51990) let UNC3569 deploy the GRAYRABBIT espionage backdoor on Windows.

Gen Digital researchers found three weaknesses in Sogou Input Method's sgbiz protocol handler that chain into a one-click RCE running with the signed-in user's permissions. UNC3569 used the chain in an active intrusion, leveraging an unsandboxed Chromium 80 embedded browser, the known V8 flaw CVE-2021-38003, and DLL sideloading via 7-Zip to deploy the GRAYRABBIT backdoor. Tencent fixed the issue in version 16.3.0.3498 within 12 days of disclosure; Sogou is used by hundreds of millions of people, mainly in China.

Cyber Security News·Sep 14, 13:01 UTC · 2d agoExploit / PoC in the wild 3 sourcesCVE-2026-51990CVE-2021-38003

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