Is This WordPress's Worst Hack In History?

Highlights

• A severe unauthenticated SQL injection vulnerability affects stock WordPress installations across versions 6.9.0–6.9.4 and 7.0.0–7.0.1.

• The vulnerability allows remote attackers to bypass API permissions, extract database credentials, create persistent administrator accounts, and execute arbitrary shell commands via custom plugin uploads.

• WordPress powers over 44% of all websites globally, making millions of sites vulnerable without needing third-party plugins installed.

• The multi-step exploit chain was pieced together in just 10 hours using AI, a process that traditionally would take human security researchers weeks or months.

• Automated exploitation started almost immediately after discovery, with site compromises reported within two days of exposure.

• WordPress version 7.0.2 fully patches the vulnerability.

Timeline

1. 00:00 - 00:58

   Core WordPress Vulnerability and Severity Overview

   Standard stock installations of WordPress without any third-party plugins are vulnerable to this exploit. Probing an unpatched site returns an HTTP 207 response, confirming that an attacker can initiate interactive shell access. Once confirmed, the script executes an SQL injection to create a new administrator account and deploy a malicious web shell plugin.

   • WordPress core contains a critical flaw permitting full remote takeover of the admin panel.
   • The exploit grants attackers SQL injection capabilities, administrative privilege escalation, and arbitrary shell command execution.
   • Over 44% of global websites run on WordPress, exposing massive user data reserves.
2. 00:58 - 02:40

   Technical Breakdown of the Exploit Mechanism

   The attack begins at the unauthenticated batch v1 endpoint, designed to group multiple validated requests. A bug in the wp_pass_url_files function updates only the validation array when handling invalid paths while leaving the matches array unchanged. This array desynchronization allows inner request bodies to bypass method allowlists, turning POST requests into GET requests directed at non-existent posts. WordPress then dispatches these requests to get_items, where unescaped string interpolation of the author_exclude parameter yields direct SQL injection.

   • Vulnerable versions span WordPress 6.9.0 through 6.9.4 and 7.0.0 through 7.0.1.
   • The attack initiates through an unauthenticated batch v1 API endpoint by exploiting an array synchronization bug.
   • Unescaped string interpolation during item queries turns author filtering requests into executable SQL injection.
3. 02:40 - 03:53

   Execution of Remote Code and Admin Account Creation

   Exploit execution starts by probing system parameters to retrieve database metadata. Attackers then send a POST request to the v2 users endpoint to register a high-privilege administrator. Once logged in, the exploit uploads a malicious plugin named web shell, establishing arbitrary command access over server files. The automated script can delete the created admin user right after plugin deployment to remain discreet, or maintain persistent login credentials for complete dashboard control.

   • Pre-authentication SQL injection exposes internal database names, software versions, and credentials.
   • Attackers automatically upload web shell plugins to gain direct file system access.
   • Admin accounts can be purged after plugin installation to evade detection or left active for manual login.
4. 03:53 - 04:52

   AI-Driven Threat Landscape and Mitigation Path

   Discovering this multi-step vulnerability chain manually would traditionally take security researchers weeks or months. AI assistance reduced discovery time to 10 hours, enabling rapid development of working proofs of concept. Automated threat actors actively scan target sites, with reported compromises occurring within two days of vulnerability publication. Upgrading core installations to version 7.0.2 resolves the bug completely.

   • AI tools assisted in synthesizing the entire complex exploit chain within 10 hours.
   • Automated scanner bots now target publicly exposed repositories and URLs to exploit disclosed flaws rapidly.
   • WordPress version 7.0.2 fixes the core vulnerability.