CVE-2026-119977: WordPress remote code execution vulnerability

high 8.1 plugin closed published 2026-10-31 · updated 2026-11-04

WordPress 4.7.0 to 4.7.38, 4.8.0 to 4.8.33, 4.9.0 to 4.9.34, 5.0.0 to 5.0.30, 5.1.0 to 5.1.27, 5.2.0 to 5.2.29, 5.3.0 to 5.3.26, 5.4.0 to 5.4.24, 5.5.0 to 5.5.23, 5.6.0 to 5.6.22, 5.7.0 to 5.7.20, 5.8.0 to 5.8.18, 5.9.0 to 5.9.19, 6.0.0 to 6.0.17, 6.1.0 to 6.1.15, 6.2.0 to 6.2.14, 6.3.0 to 6.3.13, 6.4.0 to 6.4.13, 6.5.0 to 6.5.13, 6.6.0 to 6.6.10, 6.7.0 to 6.7.10, 6.8.0 to 6.8.11, 6.9.0 to 6.9.10, 7.0.0 to 7.0.7, 7.1.0 to 7.1.3 are affected by this remote code execution issue. The plugin was closed on wordpress.org on 2015-10-01, so sites running it will not be offered an update.

Affected versions: 4.7.0 to 4.7.38, 4.8.0 to 4.8.33, 4.9.0 to 4.9.34, 5.0.0 to 5.0.30, 5.1.0 to 5.1.27, 5.2.0 to 5.2.29, 5.3.0 to 5.3.26, 5.4.0 to 5.4.24, 5.5.0 to 5.5.23, 5.6.0 to 5.6.22, 5.7.0 to 5.7.20, 5.8.0 to 5.8.18, 5.9.0 to 5.9.19, 6.0.0 to 6.0.17, 6.1.0 to 6.1.15, 6.2.0 to 6.2.14, 6.3.0 to 6.3.13, 6.4.0 to 6.4.13, 6.5.0 to 6.5.13, 6.6.0 to 6.6.10, 6.7.0 to 6.7.10, 6.8.0 to 6.8.11, 6.9.0 to 6.9.10, 7.0.0 to 7.0.7, 7.1.0 to 7.1.3
Fixed in: unknown
Severity: High · CVSS 8.1
Active installs: closed
Type: Remote code execution

What an attacker needs

Access: None. No account or login is needed.

CVSS vector (score by Wordfence): CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

What to do now

Replace WordPress. A closed plugin gets no updates through WordPress, so this hole stays open.
Deactivate and delete it once you have a replacement (Plugins → Deactivate → Delete). Deactivating alone leaves its files on the server.
Not sure which version you run? Check your version against every known WordPress issue.
If you ran an affected version and something looks off (new admin users, spam pages, redirects), run the free scan below.

The advisory

WordPress Core is vulnerable to Remote Code Execution in versions 4.7 through 7.1.3. This is due to predictable, web-accessible staging paths used during full-package core upgrades. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to execute code on the server during the upgrade window.

Description from the CVE record, published by Wordfence (the CVE Numbering Authority), via the NVD entry for CVE-2026-119977.

References

NVD CVE-2026-119977 nvd.nist.gov
Wordfence advisory www.wordfence.com
Wordfence advisory www.wordfence.com
core.trac.wordpress.org core.trac.wordpress.org
core.trac.wordpress.org core.trac.wordpress.org
core.trac.wordpress.org core.trac.wordpress.org
core.trac.wordpress.org core.trac.wordpress.org

Ran an affected version? Check your site for signs of a hack

The free scan reads the public side of your site and looks for spam pages, hidden redirects, injected scripts and blacklist entries. No login, no install, about a minute.

Already hacked? Flat $499 cleanup with a 30-day reinfection guarantee.

Where this data comes from

CVE record, score and references: NIST National Vulnerability Database (NVD), checked 2026-11-04. This product uses data from the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD.
Versions and install counts: wordpress.org/plugins/wordpress (Plugins API), fetched 2026-11-04.
The summary, “what an attacker needs” and “what to do” sections are our plain-English reading of the record and the plugin's release history; the quoted description is the record's own text. Spot an error? Email Daniel.