CVE-2026-60137
High PUBLISHEDWordPress < 7.0.2 - Facilitated SQL Injection via author__not_in in WP_Query
Not yet in CISA KEV
Recommended Action
Prioritize remediation. Validate affected assets and apply vendor fixes on an accelerated timeline.
At a Glance
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.
- CVE Published
- Jul 17, 2026
- Exploitation Reported
- Jul 18, 2026
- CVSS
- 5.9 Medium
- EPSS
- 4.0%
Affected Versions
| Vendor | Product | Version | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| WordPress |
WordPress
|
6.8.0 to < 6.8.6 |
Affected |
| WordPress |
WordPress
|
6.9.0 to < 6.9.5 |
Affected |
| WordPress |
WordPress
|
7.0.0 to < 7.0.2 |
Affected |
CVE References
- Vendor Advisory — wordpress.org wordpress.org · Vendor Advisory https://wordpress.org/news/2026/07/wordpress-7-0-2-release/
- GitHub — WordPress/wordpress-develop github.com · Technical Description https://github.com/WordPress/wordpress-develop/security/advisories/GH...
Recommended Actions
- Prioritize remediation. Validate affected assets and apply vendor fixes on an accelerated timeline.
- Use the Pro API to automate enrichment, telemetry, and workflow delivery for VM, SOC, and CTI pipelines.
Known Exploited Vulnerability Sources
Catalogues that list this CVE as a known exploited vulnerability.
Per-source evidence links for KEV attestations are available through the KEVIntel Pro API.
Learn about Pro API access| Source | Added |
|---|---|
| PatchStack First | 2026-07-18 15:32 UTC |
| Tenable Blog | 2026-07-20 13:36 UTC |
| Dark Reading | 2026-07-20 21:38 UTC |
No detection artifacts or sensor request patterns are available for this CVE yet.
Check back as sensor telemetry and scanner integrations are updated.
Virtual Patch
Compensating WAF rules to help reduce exposure to this CVE. Rule content and deployable vendor exports are available with KEVIntel Enterprise.
KEVIntel does not currently have a virtual patch for this CVE. When available, KEVIntel virtual patches ship as deployable ModSecurity, Cloudflare, and AWS WAF rules.
Enterprise feature. Virtual patch rule content and deployable vendor exports (ModSecurity, Cloudflare, AWS WAF) are available to KEVIntel Enterprise users.
CVSS Scores
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
Exploitation Status
Exploited in the wild
Recorded 2026-07-18 15:32:00 UTC · PatchStack
Weaknesses (CWE)
-
Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command ('SQL Injection')
Recent Mentions
Dark Reading · Jul 20, 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.
Tenable Blog · Jul 20, 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 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. BackgroundTenable'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.FAQWhat 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.CVEDescriptionCVSSv3CVE-2026-63030WordPress Core REST API...
Wordfence · Jul 17, 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.
Timeline
Key exploitation, disclosure, scanner coverage, and KEV attestation events for this CVE.
-
21:38 UTC about 1 hour ago21:38 UTC · about 1 hour ago
KEV confirmed by Dark Reading
Exploitation attested by an external source
-
13:36 UTC about 9 hours ago13:36 UTC · about 9 hours ago
KEV confirmed by Tenable Blog
Exploitation attested by an external source
-
15:32 UTC 2 days ago15:32 UTC · 2 days ago
Added to KEVIntel KEV Feed
High-confidence, third-party attested exploitation
-
19:14 UTC 3 days ago19:14 UTC · 3 days ago
CVE published
Vulnerability disclosed publicly
-
17:17 UTC 3 days ago17:17 UTC · 3 days ago
CVE ID reserved
Identifier reserved by the CNA
Automate This Intelligence with the Pro API
Confidence scoring, exploit status, sensor telemetry, PoCs, scanner integrations, mentions, and tags are available programmatically for VM, SOC, and CTI workflows.
Pro API Example
GET /api/v2/pro/kevs/CVE-2026-60137
{
"cve_id": "CVE-2026-60137",
"title": "WordPress < 7.0.2 - Facilitated SQL Injection via author__not_in in WP_Query",
"affected_vendor": "WordPress",
"affected_product": "WordPress",
"affected_versions": [
{ "vendor": "...", "product": "...", "status": "affected", "display_label": "..." }
],
"confidence": "High",
"cvss_score": 5.9,
"epss_score": 0.04026,
"exploit_status": {
"exploited_in_the_wild": true,
"active_exploitation_observed": false
},
"sensor_telemetry": { "...": "Pro API fields" },
"proof_of_concepts": [ "..." ],
"scanner_integrations": [ "..." ]
}