CVE-2026-60137: WordPress Core SQL Injection Vulnerability

Should you act?

Exploited: patch now if you run it

CISA has confirmed exploitation in the wild. This signal is computed from CISA KEV, EPSS and CVSS data; it is not an editorial verdict.

• Yes, if you run WordPress Core. CISA added this CVE to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2026-07-21, which means there is reliable evidence of exploitation in the wild. US federal agencies must remediate by 2026-08-04; treat that as the outer limit, not the target.
• EPSS 5.3%, percentile 93: FIRST’s model estimates a 5.3% chance of exploitation activity in the next 30 days, higher than 93% of all scored CVEs (elevated). EPSS is a probability, not a verdict.
• Remotely reachable with no login and no user interaction. If the vulnerable service is exposed to the internet, prioritize it.
• Editorial verdict: Act now. WordPress 7.0.2: REST Batch + SQL Injection Chain to RCE — Core WordPress 6.9 and 7.0 sites were exposed to unauthenticated remote code execution that is now exploited; most sites got a forced update, so your job is to confirm every one actually did.

What it is

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 authornotin parameter of WPQuery, which could allow SQL Injection when a plugin or theme passes untrusted input to the parameter.

CISA’s summary

WordPress Core contains a SQL injection vulnerability when a plugin or theme passes untrusted input to the parameter. This vulnerability can be chained with CVE-2026-63030 to allow an unauthenticated attacker to gain remote code execution on default WordPress installations.

Weakness type: CWE-89.

Product: WordPress Core · Assigned by: WPScan · Published: 2026-07-17

Affected and fixed versions

Severity scores

• Attack vector: network (remotely reachable)
• Attack complexity: high (needs special conditions)
• Privileges required: none (no login)
• User interaction: none
• Scope: unchanged

CVSS measures how bad a flaw is if exploited, not how likely exploitation is. Read it next to the exploitation data below.

Exploitation and urgency

• CISA KEV: added 2026-07-21; federal due date 2026-08-04. Known ransomware use: Unknown.
• CISA required action: Apply mitigations in accordance with vendor instructions, ensuring compliance with CISA’s BOD 26-04 Prioritizing Security Updates Based on Risk (see URL in Notes) guidance and CISA’s “Forensics Triage Requirements” (see URL in Notes). Follow applicable BOD 26-04 guidance for cloud services or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable. Stakeholders are responsible for evaluating each asset's internet exposure and ensuring adherence to BOD 26-04 patching guidelines.
• CISA SSVC assessment: exploitation active, automatable no, technical impact total.
• FIRST EPSS (model of 2026-10-21): 5.32% probability of exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 93.

Timeline

• 2026-07-17 — CVE record published by WPScan
• 2026-07-17 — erroneo.us brief: WordPress 7.0.2: REST Batch + SQL Injection Chain to RCE
• 2026-07-21 — Added to CISA’s Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog
• 2026-08-04 — CISA remediation deadline for US federal agencies
• 2026-10-07 — CVE record last updated

Sources and references

Original sources first. Version and fix details should always be confirmed against the vendor or project advisory.

Vendor and project advisories, patches

1. wordpress.org wordpress.org

Vulnerability records

1. CVE.org record CVE-2026-60137 cve.org
2. NVD entry CVE-2026-60137 nvd.nist.gov

Government

1. CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog entry cisa.gov
2. Listed in CISA KEV notes (cisa.gov) cisa.gov
3. Listed in CISA KEV notes (cisa.gov) cisa.gov

Other references from the CVE record and advisory

1. github.com github.com

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