Researchers use OpenAI's GPT-5.6 to build WordPress exploit chain
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Security researchers at Searchlight Cyber used OpenAI's GPT-5.6 Sol Ultra to develop a full exploit chain for two critical WordPress Core vulnerabilities. The chained exploit, dubbed WP2Shell, achieves pre-authentication remote code execution against WordPress installations running versions 6.9.x and 7.0.x. WordPress released version 7.0.2 on July 17 to address the vulnerabilities.
The Vulnerabilities
The first vulnerability, CVE-2026-63030, is a critical REST API batch endpoint route confusion issue with a CVSS score of 9.8, affecting WordPress Core versions 6.9.x before 6.9.5 and 7.0.x before 7.0.2. The second, CVE-2026-60137, is a high-severity SQL injection in the author__not_in WP_Query parameter (CVSS 5.9), affecting versions 6.8.x before 6.8.6, 6.9.x before 6.9.5, and 7.0.x before 7.0.2. Unlike most WordPress vulnerabilities, these affect WordPress Core, not a plugin or theme, allowing exploitation against a default installation.
AI-Driven Exploit Development
Searchlight Cyber researcher Adam Kues demonstrated on July 20 how he used GPT-5.6 Sol Ultra to create the exploit. Kues adapted a prompt previously used to solve a complex mathematical conjecture, instructing the model to run up to four agents for at least six hours to hunt for a pre-authentication remote code execution path. The model quickly identified the REST API route confusion and SQL injection, then within minutes extracted the administrator email from a fresh installation.
The WP2Shell Chain
Over four additional hours, the AI constructed a multi-stage chain using cache poisoning through fake oEmbed entries, manipulation of WordPress customize changesets to grant administrative privileges, and triggering hooks to bypass authentication and upload a backdoor plugin. Searchlight Cyber dubbed the chained exploit 'WP2Shell' in a July 17 advisory. Kues noted that the attack has no preconditions and can be exploited by an anonymous user on a stock WordPress installation with no plugins.
What's Next
WordPress administrators are urged to update to version 7.0.2 or later to mitigate the vulnerabilities. It remains unclear whether similar AI-driven exploit chains will be developed for other CMS platforms, as the capabilities of large language models continue to evolve.
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Researchers use OpenAI's GPT-5.6 to build WordPress exploit chain
