CVE-2026-119977: WordPress WordPress Core Time-of-check Time-of-use (TOCTOU) Race Condition Vulnerability

Compare the exact product, branch, package, platform, and vendor status. An upstream version boundary is not proof that a distribution backport or appliance firmware is vulnerable or fixed.

How the vulnerability works

WordPress Core is vulnerable to Remote Code Execution in versions 4.7 through 7.1.3. This is due to predictable, web-accessible staging paths used during full-package core upgrades. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to execute code on the server during the upgrade window. CVE CNA: Wordfence

WordPress Core may sit directly on a public website, so a vulnerable core, plugin, or theme can turn a routine content system into an initial-access path.

How to check your systems

Record the exact WordPress core and extension versions, confirm whether the affected feature is enabled, review administrator accounts, and inspect web requests before and after the update.

wp core version
wp plugin list --fields=name,status,version
wp theme list --fields=name,status,version

Run WP-CLI from the WordPress installation with the site account. Match the named component and its active version to the advisory; an installed but inactive extension still needs a separate reachability assessment. These are inventory checks, not exploit tests.

How to fix

Permanent remediation

1. Confirm the vulnerable plugin, component, route, role, and authentication state on every public application instance.
2. Apply the latest vendor remediation or isolate the vulnerable path when immediate patching is not possible.
3. Review web, WAF, authentication, process, and outbound-request logs for exploit indicators before cleanup.
4. Validate the fixed version and control health, then record any exception with an owner and expiry date.

Official remediation direction: CISA due date: 2026-11-06. This deadline applies to covered US federal civilian agencies; other organizations should set a risk-based deadline. 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. Official action

If you cannot patch yet

No product-specific workaround is established by the source data available for this article. Ask the vendor for supported options. As an operational precaution, restrict access to the affected interface or isolate the component where service dependencies permit; this is not evidence that the underlying flaw is fixed.

Give any temporary control an owner and expiry, verify it covers every affected instance, and retain a rollback path. Remove it only after the permanent remediation is verified.

Detection and post-fix validation

• Confirm the installed and running version of WordPress Core against the current vendor advisory.
• Check whether the vulnerable interface is reachable from untrusted networks or lower-privileged identities.
• Look for new accounts, privilege changes, crashes, child processes, or unusual outbound traffic associated with the component.
• Run a post-remediation service and security-control health check and retain evidence with the change record.

A clean scan or a version match alone does not rule out earlier compromise. If telemetry suggests exploitation, preserve evidence and follow the incident-response process alongside patching.

Timeline and exploitation status

• October 31, 2026 — CVE record published.
• November 3, 2026 — Source entry published.
• November 3, 2026 — Added to CISA KEV.
• November 4, 2026 — Source record updated.

Record publication and KEV addition dates describe those source events; they do not establish when exploitation first began.

The linked official record reports exploitation in the wild. This does not establish that any particular deployment has been compromised.

Public proof-of-concept availability is not independently established here. Recheck the vendor and government records as evidence changes.

Primary sources and references

• CISA-linked vendor guidance: wordpress.org
• CISA-linked vendor guidance: www.wordfence.com
• CISA-linked vendor guidance: www.cisa.gov
• CISA-linked vendor guidance: www.cisa.gov
• CISA-linked vendor guidance: nvd.nist.gov
• CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities: CVE-2026-119977: WordPress WordPress Core Time-of-check Time-of-use (TOCTOU) Race Condition Vulnerability
• CNA-linked reference: www.wordfence.com
• CNA-linked reference: core.trac.wordpress.org
• CNA-linked reference: core.trac.wordpress.org
• CNA-linked reference: core.trac.wordpress.org
• CNA-linked reference: core.trac.wordpress.org
• CNA-linked reference: core.trac.wordpress.org
• CNA-linked reference: core.trac.wordpress.org
• CNA-linked reference: wordpress.org
• CVE CNA: Wordfence: CVE-2026-119977 CNA record