This security news roundup highlights multiple cybersecurity developments including a critical SAP vulnerability (CVE-2026-44756) allowing unauthenticated memory corruption, a WordPress plugin file-upload flaw enabling mass webshell uploads, and a zero-click Plugin4Shell vulnerability affecting AI coding assistants that permits silent malicious plugin updates. Additionally, it covers the sentencing of a ransomware developer, new malware linked to bug bounty hunting, and other notable cybercrime and defense updates.
Two critical unauthenticated remote code execution (RCE) vulnerabilities affect The Events Calendar WordPress plugin versions before 6.17.3.1 and 6.17.4.1. These flaws allow attackers to execute arbitrary code and potentially take over affected WordPress sites. The first vulnerability (CVE-2026-78159) involves unauthenticated code injection via insufficient validation, patched in version 6.17.3.1. The second (CVE-2026-78006) is an unauthenticated PHP object injection exploitable if event comments are enabled, fixed in version 6.17.4.1. Approximately 240,000 sites using vulnerable versions may be exposed, though exploitation requires comments to be enabled. Both vulnerabilities lead to full site compromise if exploited.
Malicious versions of the Admin Menu Editor Pro plugin for WordPress have been distributed to more than 200 customers after a threat actor compromised the maintainer's website and pushed updates that created a hidden user account. [...]
Hackers are actively exploiting a critical vulnerability in the WooCommerce Wholesale Lead Capture premium plugin for WordPress to upload a PHP backdoor. [...]
An SQL injection vulnerability exists in the All-in-One WP Migration and Backup plugin for WordPress. This flaw could allow unauthenticated attackers to execute remote code and potentially take control of affected websites. The vulnerability affects millions of WordPress sites using this plugin. No specific affected versions or patch information is provided in the available data.
A critical vulnerability in the GiveWP WordPress donation plugin allows unauthenticated attackers to execute arbitrary commands on the hosting server. This flaw enables remote code execution without requiring authentication, posing a severe risk to affected websites. No specific affected versions or patches are currently detailed in the available information. There is no confirmation of active exploitation in the wild at this time.
A critical vulnerability chain in the Avada WordPress theme allows an unauthenticated attacker to execute arbitrary PHP code on the server without any user interaction (zero-click). This flaw affects the popular Avada theme and poses a severe risk of remote code execution.
Hackers are attempting to exploit two critical authentication bypass vulnerabilities in the miniOrange SAML 2.0 Single Sign On plugin for WordPress. These vulnerabilities allow attackers to forge SAML responses and log in as administrators on affected WordPress sites. No specific affected versions or patch information is provided. There is no confirmation of active exploitation in the wild at this time.
A critical vulnerability (CVE-2026-32475) in the Elementor Pro WordPress plugin allows attackers to upload executable PHP files via a crafted multipart upload, leading to remote code execution (RCE) on the server. The flaw exists in the File Upload module due to inconsistent handling of empty filename uploads between validation and processing loops. Exploitation requires a published Elementor Pro form with a File Upload field and the multiple file upload option enabled. The vulnerability affects versions before 4.2.2. A fix has been released, and administrators are advised to update and check for malicious files uploaded during the exposure period. No active exploitation has been observed in the wild so far.
StopAndProtect is a large-scale malware operation abusing thousands of hacked WordPress sites as infrastructure to spread malware, control infected machines, and store stolen data. It uses a multi-stage infection chain initiated by a social engineering ClickFix prompt leading to PowerShell scripts and .NET loaders. The operation includes ransomware, data theft, screen locking, credential stealing, and a chat utility. Operational security failures exposed extensive logs, screenshots, and source code, revealing the scale and tools used. Many compromised WordPress sites are outdated and vulnerable, facilitating the attackers' control. The campaign affects victims globally, with many IPs from the US, Russia, and India. No official patch or fix is applicable as this is a malware campaign leveraging vulnerable third-party sites.
Attackers with Author-level user or higher permissions could exploit the flaw via malicious Postscript files. The post WordPress 7.0.4 Patches Remote Code Execution Vulnerability appeared first on SecurityWeek .
A threat actor compromised the upstream infrastructure of BdThemes, a developer of premium WordPress web-design tools, and modified a remote JSON feed delivered to administrators' browsers to create rogue admin accounts. [...]
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 in-the-wild exploitation, with public proof-of-concept exploits appearing within hours of the July 17, 2026 disclosure. Patches are available in WordPress 7.0.2 and 6.9.5; WordPress.org has enabled forced automatic updates across affected supported installations. Background Tenable's Research Special Operations (RSO) team has compiled this blog to answer Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) regarding wp2shell, two vulnerabilities in WordPress Core that can be chained together to achieve pre-authentication remote code execution. FAQ What is wp2shell? wp2shell is the name given to two vulnerabilities in WordPress Core. When was wp2shell first disclosed? On July 17, 2026, WordPress released security updates addressing the wp2shell vulnerabilities alongside two GitHub Security Advisories. Adam Kues of Searchlight Cyber, who discovered and disclosed CVE-2026-63030, published research on the same day and chose to hold back the technical specifics given the severity of the finding. Searchlight Cyber also launched wp2shell.com , a testing tool that allows administrators to check whether their WordPress installation is vulnerable. On July 20, Searchlight Cyber published a full technical breakdown of the attack chain. What are the vulnerabilities associated with wp2shell? wp2shell is a two-vulnerability exploit chain affecting WordPress Core. CVE Description CVSSv3 CVE-2026-63030 WordPress Core REST API Batch-Route Confusion Remote Code Execution Vulnerability 9.8 CVE-2026-60137 WordPress Core WP_Query author__not_in SQL Injection Vulnerability 5.9 CVE-2026-63030 is a REST API batch-route confusion weakness introduced in WordPress 6.9. CVE-2026-60137 is a SQL injection flaw in the author__not_in parameter of WP_Query , present in WordPress 6.8 and later. When chained on WordPress 6.9.0 through 7.0.1, the two flaws allow an unauthenticated attacker to reach the REST API batch endpoint at /wp-json/batch/v1 and achieve remote code execution. CVE-2026-60137 was discovered and disclosed by security researchers TF1T, dtro, and haongo. CVE-2026-60137 also affects WordPress 6.8.0 through 6.8.5 as a standalone SQL injection issue. Because CVE-2026-63030 was introduced in WordPress 6.9, the full RCE chain is only achievable on 6.9.x and 7.0.x installations. How severe is the wp2shell vulnerability chain? An anonymous, unauthenticated user can execute the chain against a default WordPress installation with no plugins required. No preconditions exist beyond the default WordPress configuration. Cloudflare notes that the vulnerable code path is reached when “a persistent object cache is not in use.” Note: wp2shell targets WordPress Core itself rather than a plugin or theme. All four prior WordPress-related entries in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog involve plugins, not core. Pre-authentication remote code execution in WordPress Core is uncommon. CVE Product Added to KEV Ransomware CVE-2026-41940 WebPros cPanel & WHM and WP2 (WordPress Squared) April 30, 2026 Known CVE-2020-25213 WordPress File Manager Plugin November 3, 2021 Unknown CVE-2020-11738 WordPress Snap Creek Duplicator Plugin November 3, 2021 Unknown CVE-2019-9978 WordPress Social Warfare Plugin November 3, 2021 Unknown How widespread are the attacks exploiting wp2shell? WordPress is the most widely deployed content management system in the world. Some hosted installations will receive patc…
For the latest discoveries in cyber research for the week of 20th July, please download our Threat Intelligence Bulletin. TOP ATTACKS AND BREACHES Ernst & Young, a global accounting and professional services company, has disclosed a data breach involving a compromised third-party IT support platform. The exposed support tickets may have contained client documents, tax information, employee details, and other sensitive information submitted while requesting technical assistance. Jscrambler, a JavaScript code-protection package with more than 15,000 weekly downloads, has experienced a supply chain compromise after stolen npm publishing credentials distributed malicious releases. The packages deployed malware targeting developers’, cloud, browser, cryptocurrency, and messaging credentials. Jscrambler removed the affected versions. Coca-Cola’s US dairy subsidiary Fairlife has confirmed a ransomware attack that temporarily halted production across the United States. Attackers accessed systems supporting manufacturing operations, prompting the company to activate incident response and business continuity procedures. Coca-Cola has not confirmed whether data was exfiltrated in the attack. Nihon Kotsu, Japan’s largest taxi operator, has suffered a malware attack following unauthorized access to its internal network. The company shut down affected systems, disrupting taxi dispatches, telephone services, bookings, reservations, and car rentals from July 11. No theft of customer or corporate information has been confirmed. AI THREATS Researchers identified a China-linked campaign that used Claude Code and DeepSeek to automate attacks against government and financial organizations. The tools generated scripts, adapted failed exploits, created credential-harvesting pages, and executed commands. Confirmed compromises affected government systems in Thailand and Afghanistan and organizations in Taiwan. Researchers found that xAI’s Grok Build coding assistant could upload entire Git repositories while processing debugging requests. Transferred information included unopened files and complete commit histories, potentially exposing API keys, credentials, and proprietary source code. Initial privacy controls did not prevent uploads until a server-side restriction was introduced. Researchers verified a weakness in Anthropic’s Claude for Chrome extension that allowed malicious browser extensions to impersonate Claude and act through authenticated user sessions. Successful exploitation could expose Gmail, Google Drive, or GitHub information through Claude’s permissions. Anthropic released fixes, although researchers reported that a bypass remained possible. VULNERABILITIES AND PATCHES Microsoft released patches for 622 vulnerabilities in July’s Patch Tuesday, the largest monthly release recorded by the company. Two vulnerabilities were under active exploitation, including CVE-2026-56164 in SharePoint Server and CVE-2026-56155 in Active Directory Federation Services. Both vulnerabilities could allow attackers to elevate privileges. Check Point IPS provides protection against these threats (Microsoft SharePoint Authentication Bypass (CVE-2026-56164)) WordPress has issued emergency updates for CVE-2026-63030 and CVE-2026-60137, collectively called wp2shell. The critical WordPress Core vulnerabilities allow unauthenticated remote code execution and website takeover. Affected releases include versions 6.9.0 through 6.9.4 and 7.0.0 through 7.0.1. Fixed versions include 6.9.5 and 7.0.2. Check Point IPS provides protection against these threats (WordPress Authentication Bypass (CVE-2026-63030)), WordPress SQL Injection (CVE-2026-60137)) SonicWall has released a hotfix for CVE-2026-15409 and CVE-2026-15410, two critical vulnerabilities affecting SMA 1000 Series gateways. The flaws allow unauthenticated attackers to execute system commands on vulnerable appliances. Active exploitation has been associated with Inc ransomware. Check Point IPS provides protection…
An active supply-chain attack targeted over 1.2 million WordPress sites using OptinMonster, TrustPulse, and PushEngage plugins operated by Awesome Motive. Attackers injected malicious JavaScript into legitimate files served through Awesome Motive's CDN endpoints. The malware activates when a logged-in administrator accesses the site, creating backdoor admin accounts (developer_api1 and randomized dev_xxxxxx accounts) and installing a self-hiding PHP plugin. The backdoor provides unauthenticated code execution through a web shell and eval endpoint. Stolen credentials are exfiltrated to tidio.cc, a lookalike domain mimicking the legitimate tidio.com. The breach likely originated from compromised Awesome Motive servers or their BunnyNet CDN account. The campaign began in late April 2026 and remained active through mid-June, affecting OptinMonster (over 1 million installations), TrustPulse, and PushEngage users.