How to fix CVE-2026-87902: WordPress Core (exploited in the wild)

An unauthenticated attacker can make get_page_template() page-template resolution include a chosen readable local .php file outside the active theme directories. If relevant pre-conditions for both the server and the active theme are met, this can lead to RCE.

• Severity: HIGH (CVSS 3.1 8.1, vector CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H).
• Weakness: CWE-98.
• NVD published 2026-09-22, status Analyzed.

Anyone running WordPress Core in the version ranges below. Internet-facing instances are the priority.

• wordpress wordpress: up to (not including) 4.7.37.
• wordpress wordpress: from 4.8 up to (not including) 4.8.32.
• wordpress wordpress: from 4.9 up to (not including) 4.9.33.
• wordpress wordpress: from 5.0 up to (not including) 5.0.29.
• wordpress wordpress: from 5.1 up to (not including) 5.1.26.
• wordpress wordpress: from 5.2 up to (not including) 5.2.28.
• wordpress wordpress: from 5.3 up to (not including) 5.3.25.
• wordpress wordpress: from 5.4 up to (not including) 5.4.23.
• wordpress wordpress: from 5.5 up to (not including) 5.5.22.
• wordpress wordpress: from 5.6 up to (not including) 5.6.21.

Version ranges come from the NVD CPE configuration. Confirm against the vendor advisory before you rely on them.

• Exploited in the wild: added to the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2026-09-25; federal remediation due date 2026-09-28.
• Exploit-DB: EDB-52690 WordPress 7.0.2 - Path Travesal (2026-10-01).
• Public proof-of-concept code: 25 GitHub repositories from 25 accounts, the first on 2026-09-22.

• EPSS (probability of exploitation activity in the next 30 days): 39.98%, higher than 99% of all scored CVEs (as of 2026-10-24).
• CVERadar threat level: 67/100 (see methodology).
• Likely ATT&CK techniques: T1190 Exploit Public-Facing Application (inferred).

1. Find every instance. List where WordPress Core runs, including test, DR and forgotten internet-facing systems, and record the installed version.
2. Upgrade to a fixed release. wordpress wordpress: 4.7.37 or later; wordpress wordpress: 4.8.32 or later; wordpress wordpress: 4.9.33 or later; wordpress wordpress: 5.0.29 or later. Get the build from the vendor advisory.
3. If you can't patch today, follow CISA's 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.
4. Verify the fix. Re-run the version check on every instance and confirm it reports the fixed build (4.7.37 or later). Re-scan from outside if the service is exposed.
5. Hunt for signs of earlier compromise. If the system was exposed before you patched, assume it may have been hit and check the items below.
6. Rotate credentials stored on or used by the affected system if you cannot rule out compromise, and keep the logs you reviewed.

Detection hints

• T1190 Exploit Public-Facing Application: Review WAF, reverse-proxy and application logs for unusual requests to Core (odd paths, oversized or encoded payloads, bursts of errors), going back to at least 2026-09-22.

Detection commands are generic starting points, not CVE-specific signatures. Use the indicators from the vendor advisory when it publishes them.

• NVD: CVE-2026-87902 nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-87902
• CVE.org record www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-87902
• Vendor link from CISA KEV github.com/WordPress/wordpress-develop/security/advisories/GHSA-7hp8-6
• CISA KEV catalog www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog
• FIRST EPSS (2026-10-24) api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2026-87902