Reported vulnerability

WordPress Core <= 7.0.3 - Authenticated (Author+) Remote Code Execution via Malicious File Upload

Published 12 Aug 2026

Updated 12 Aug 2026

CVE-2026-65640

Compare your installed software with the affected versions below. Follow the source’s remediation guidance and test an available update after taking a backup. A database entry describes a reported issue; it does not establish whether a particular website has been compromised.

Does this affect my version?

Check your installed version against this advisory. This compares the report’s version ranges and does not scan your website.

WordPress

In WordPress, open Dashboard > Updates to find your installed WordPress version.

Wordfence advisory

high · CVSS 8.8

WordPress Core is vulnerable to Remote Code Execution in multiple release branches, including versions 4.7.0 through 7.0.3. This is due to insufficient validation in the `WP_Image_Editor_Imagick::load()` image-processing path before passing uploaded files or streams to Imagick, which can interpret attacker-supplied image-like files as PostScript-family or compressed delegate formats based on magic bytes, format specifiers, or decompressed content rather than the WordPress-accepted extension. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Author-level access and above, to upload a crafted file that is processed during attachment metadata generation and may trigger unsafe ImageMagick/Ghostscript behavior, resulting in remote code execution on sites using Imagick and Ghostscript. Unauthenticated exploitation is deployment-dependent and requires an additional public-upload plugin or theme path that sends attacker-supplied files through WordPress image metadata generation.

Severity vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

WordPress

Software
WordPress Core · wordpress
Affected versions
From 4.7.0, through 4.7.34; From 4.8.0, through 4.8.29; From 4.9.0, through 4.9.30; From 5.0.0, through 5.0.26; From 5.1.0, through 5.1.23; From 5.2.0, through 5.2.25; From 5.3.0, through 5.3.22; From 5.4.0, through 5.4.20; From 5.5.0, through 5.5.19; From 5.6.0, through 5.6.18; From 5.7.0, through 5.7.16; From 5.8.0, through 5.8.14; From 5.9.0, through 5.9.15; From 6.0.0, through 6.0.13; From 6.1.0, through 6.1.11; From 6.2.0, through 6.2.10; From 6.3.0, through 6.3.9; From 6.4.0, through 6.4.9; From 6.5.0, through 6.5.9; From 6.6.0, through 6.6.6; From 6.7.0, through 6.7.6; From 6.8.0, through 6.8.7; From 6.9.0, through 6.9.6; From 7.0.0, through 7.0.3
Fix availability
Fix available
Fixed versions
4.7.35, 4.8.30, 4.9.31, 5.0.27, 5.1.24, 5.2.26, 5.3.23, 5.4.21, 5.5.20, 5.6.19, 5.7.17, 5.8.15, 5.9.16, 6.0.14, 6.1.12, 6.2.11, 6.3.10, 6.4.10, 6.5.10, 6.6.7, 6.7.7, 6.8.8, 6.9.7, 7.0.4

Recommended action

Update to one of the following versions, or a newer patched version: 4.7.35, 4.8.30, 4.9.31, 5.0.27, 5.1.24, 5.2.26, 5.3.23, 5.4.21, 5.5.20, 5.6.19, 5.7.17, 5.8.15, 5.9.16, 6.0.14, 6.1.12, 6.2.11, 6.3.10, 6.4.10, 6.5.10, 6.6.7, 6.7.7, 6.8.8, 6.9.7, 7.0.4

Further references (1)
Data sources and licences

Copyright 2012-2026 Defiant Inc.

Defiant hereby grants you a perpetual, worldwide, non-exclusive, no-charge, royalty-free, irrevocable copyright license to reproduce, prepare derivative works of, publicly display, publicly perform, sublicense, and distribute this software vulnerability information. Any copy of the software vulnerability information you make for such purposes is authorized provided that you include a hyperlink to this vulnerability record and reproduce Defiant's copyright designation and this license in any such copy.

Read licence terms

Copyright 1999-2026 The MITRE Corporation

CVE Usage: MITRE hereby grants you a perpetual, worldwide, non-exclusive, no-charge, royalty-free, irrevocable copyright license to reproduce, prepare derivative works of, publicly display, publicly perform, sublicense, and distribute Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE®). Any copy you make for such purposes is authorized provided that you reproduce MITRE's copyright designation and this license in any such copy.

Read licence terms

Source: Wordfence

Need help fixing this issue?

Get help checking your site, applying an available update and resolving any problems after updating.

Get help with this issue

Questions about this vulnerability

Which versions of WordPress are affected?

Wordfence lists these affected versions: From 4.7.0, through 4.7.34; From 4.8.0, through 4.8.29; From 4.9.0, through 4.9.30; From 5.0.0, through 5.0.26; From 5.1.0, through 5.1.23; From 5.2.0, through 5.2.25; From 5.3.0, through 5.3.22; From 5.4.0, through 5.4.20; From 5.5.0, through 5.5.19; From 5.6.0, through 5.6.18; From 5.7.0, through 5.7.16; From 5.8.0, through 5.8.14; From 5.9.0, through 5.9.15; From 6.0.0, through 6.0.13; From 6.1.0, through 6.1.11; From 6.2.0, through 6.2.10; From 6.3.0, through 6.3.9; From 6.4.0, through 6.4.9; From 6.5.0, through 6.5.9; From 6.6.0, through 6.6.6; From 6.7.0, through 6.7.6; From 6.8.0, through 6.8.7; From 6.9.0, through 6.9.6; From 7.0.0, through 7.0.3. Use the version checker above to compare your installed release with this report.

Is a fix available for WordPress?

Wordfence reports a fix for this issue in WordPress. It lists these fixed versions: 4.7.35, 4.8.30, 4.9.31, 5.0.27, 5.1.24, 5.2.26, 5.3.23, 5.4.21, 5.5.20, 5.6.19, 5.7.17, 5.8.15, 5.9.16, 6.0.14, 6.1.12, 6.2.11, 6.3.10, 6.4.10, 6.5.10, 6.6.7, 6.7.7, 6.8.8, 6.9.7, 7.0.4. Back up your website and test the recommended update before applying it to your live site.

Where can I find my installed WordPress version?

In WordPress, open Dashboard > Updates to find your installed WordPress version.

Does an affected version mean my website has been hacked?

An affected version means the installed release matches a vulnerability described in this report. It does not show whether anyone has exploited it on your website. The checker compares version numbers with stored reports; it does not inspect your website.

Accessibility settings

Adjust how this site looks and moves. Your choices are saved in this browser.