CVE-2026-13457: InstaWP Connect (WordPress plugin) · Unrestricted File Upload
Affects InstaWP Connect (WordPress plugin)Source CVE Database V5
Not known to be exploited · CVSS 7.5 High.
Data as of 10 Nov 2026, 23:24 UTC
- EPSS
- 0.8% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 58% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:NExploitation evidence
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 11 Aug 2026
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponized: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors
A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 10 Nov 2026.
What to do
Affected software
| Product | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
| instawpInstaWP Connect – 1-click WP Staging & Migration | Affected
| Fixed in– |
AI-suggested
Until a fix is available, administrators should disable directory listing (Options -Indexes) on Apache servers for the wp-content/instawpbackups/ directory or restrict access to this directory to prevent exposure of the migrate_key and encrypted options file.
Description
The InstaWP Connect – 1-click WP Staging & Migration plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Remote Code Execution in all versions up to, and including, 0.1.3.6 via the (top-level script) function. This is due to the plugin stores its encrypted options file as options-{migrate_key}.txt in wp-content/instawpbackups/ without deploying an index.php or .htaccess to prevent directory listing, exposing the 40-character migrate_key on Apache servers with directory indexing enabled, which allows an attacker to derive the AES-256-CBC passphrase via SHA256(migrate_key), decrypt the options file to recover the api_signature. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to get the database access details and api_signature. Exploitation requires the target WordPress site to be hosted on Apache with directory listing enabled (Options +Indexes) for the wp-content/instawpbackups/ directory, and time limited because it can only be exploited during the migration period.
References
- wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/f5319467-92f6-4d4f-a76a-12aeb25d3c6b?source=cve (opens in a new tab)
- plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/instawp-connect/tags/0.1.3.4/includes/class-instawp-tools.php (opens in a new tab)
- plugins.trac.wordpress.org/changeset/3634049/instawp-connect (opens in a new tab)