CVE-2026-45293
CVE-2026-45293 — WordPress Coding Standards (WordPressCS) contains an arbitrary code execution vulnerability
WordPress Coding Standards is a set of PHP_CodeSniffer rules (sniffs) that enforce WordPress coding conventions. From 0.14.1 until 3.4.1, the WordPress.WP.EnqueuedResourceParameters sniff (active in the WordPress and WordPress-Extra rulesets) reconstructed the $ver argument passed to functions such as wp_enqueue_script() and ran it through eval() inside its is_falsy() method, so a maliciously crafted argument such as 'system'('id') would execute during a scan; as a result, running PHPCS with WordPressCS over untrusted PHP (for example a CI pipeline that lints pull requests, or a developer reviewing third-party code) could lead to arbitrary command execution on the scanning host. The WordPress-Core and WordPress-Docs rulesets are not affected. This issue is fixed in version 3.4.1.
Published Updated Sources: NVD, WordPress (CNA)
Triage
Is it exploited, how likely is exploitation, what does it touch, and how severe do the scoring sources call it.
Exploitation
Unreported
no source claims exploitation
EPSS
0%
chance of exploitation in 30 days
CVSS base
8.6
high
CISA SSVC assessment
Three decision points CISA publishes for the CVEs it assesses · SSVC 2.0.3. A stakeholder decision, not a severity score.
Exploitation
None
none · proof-of-concept · active
Automatable
No
can an attacker script all four kill-chain steps
Technical impact
Total
partial · total control of the vulnerable component
Remediation
The vendor's own words where we have them.
Upgrade WordPress-Coding-Standards to a fixed release. Apply vendor patches per advisory and restrict external exposure of the affected component until patched.
First 24 hours
Ordered from the record's own fields — exposure first, because you cannot patch what you have not found.
- Identify exposed assets running affected vendor/product/version combinations.
- Prioritize based on EPSS, PoC availability, and external exposure.
- Search available logs for exploit probes, errors, authentication anomalies, or suspicious child processes matching the vulnerability class.
Affected scope
Vendor, product and version as the advisories word them.
| Vendor | Product | Versions | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| WordPress | WordPress-Coding-Standards | >= 0.14.1, < 3.4.1 | Vulnerable |
Attack characteristics
The CVSS vector, decoded. It describes the attack, not your exposure to it.
Availability
High
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Scope
Changed
Attack Complexity
Low
Attack Vector
Local
Privileges Req
None
User Interaction
Required
Every base score collected
Sources score independently and disagree; each row says who scored it and under which version.
| Score | Version | Severity | Expl. | Impact | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8.6 | CVSS 3.1 | high | 1.8 | 6 | GitHub (CNA), WordPress (CNA) |
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
Weakness & attack patterns
- CWE-95Eval Injection
Inferred from the weakness class — not observed against this CVE.
- T1027.006Obfuscated Files or Information: HTML Smuggling
- T1027.009Obfuscated Files or Information: Embedded Payloads
- T1564.009Hide Artifacts: Resource Forking
Detection
Read off the CVSS vector and the weakness class. Starting points, not rules we have tested.
Timeline
What happened to this CVE, newest first — with the readings a source repeats on a schedule counted underneath rather than listed.
- 2026
Added · CVSS 3.1 8.6 (AV:L)
Jul 29, 2026 · NVD
Initial · CVE published
Jul 28, 2026 · NVD
References
4 on the record
- github.com/WordPress/WordPress-Coding-Standards/commit/a29048d0bbef5cf25d42349c74e4072d3cbc8325
Exploit, Third Party Advisory
- github.com/WordPress/WordPress-Coding-Standards/pull/2771
Exploit, Third Party Advisory
- github.com/WordPress/WordPress-Coding-Standards/releases/tag/3.4.1
Exploit, Third Party Advisory
- github.com/WordPress/WordPress-Coding-Standards/security/advisories/GHSA-3pwp-g2mj-5p3v
Exploit, Third Party Advisory
Elsewhere on this site
- WordPressevery CVE for this vendor
- Remote Code Execsame class
- CWE-95other pages naming this weakness
Not in any source we poll
Listed rather than left blank: an empty field and an unmeasured one look identical on screen, and only one is a reason to look elsewhere.
- No confirmed IOCs, IP addresses, domains, file hashes, or malware artifacts supplied.
- No organization-specific asset inventory, compensating-control status, or patch deployment evidence supplied.
- No exploit packet captures, log samples, or incident case IDs supplied.
Answered from this record1
What should defenders know first?
CVE-2026-45293 is WordPress Coding Standards (WordPressCS) contains an arbitrary code execution vulnerability, a high vulnerability affecting WordPress-Coding-Standards from WordPress. The current evidence does not list it in CISA KEV, and the exploit status is: Active exploitation is not confirmed from current sources for CVE-2026-45293. Public exploit evidence is: A public PoC is not confirmed from current sources for CVE-2026-45293. The affected-version evidence is listed in the key facts and affected products tables. Defenders should first verify whether exposed or business-critical assets run those versions, then apply vendor patches or mitigations, restrict reachable attack surface, and preserve logs for detection review. CVSS 8.6 describes technical severity, while EPSS 0% helps estimate near-term exploit likelihood; neither replaces asset context. Unknown fields should remain explicit in tickets, and threat actor, IOC, victimology, or payload claims should not be added unless a cited source supports them. Monitor CISA KEV, vendor advisories, NVD changes, public PoC repositories, and internal telemetry for update triggers.