WordPress WP2Shell - SQLi (CVE-2026-60137)

CVE-2026-60137 is a SQL injection vulnerability in WordPress core: the author__not_in parameter of WP_Query is not sanitised, so a plugin or theme passing untrusted input to it exposes the database. Chained with the REST API batch route confusion CVE-2026-63030, the "wp2shell" chain, it lets unauthenticated attackers run SQL injection and reach remote code execution.

CrowdSec has been tracking this vulnerability and its exploits since 20th of July 2026.

CrowdSec network data shows that most actors exploiting CVE-2026-60137 rely on broad, untargeted scans with minimal filtering. The activity is largely automated and opportunistic in nature. Additionally, according to week-over-week analysis by CrowdSec, exploitation of CVE-2026-60137 is surging. Attack volumes are spiking well above historical norms, indicating widespread and escalating interest from threat actors. CVE-2026-60137 is currently experiencing high visibility and active exploitation across the internet.

Attackers reach the flaw through the wp2shell chain: nested requests to the REST batch endpoint /?rest_route=/batch/v1 aimed at /wp/v2/categories, with conditional SLEEP() payloads in the author_exclude parameter used as a timing oracle to extract database contents.