CVE-2026-13457 InstaWP Connect <= 0.1.3.6 - Unauthenticated Cryptographic Key Disclosure
Unauthenticated attackers can disclose cryptographic keys and database credentials via directory listing, potentially leading to remote code execution.
- Exploited in the wild
- Not known
- Login needed
- Not needed
- Attackable
- Over the internet
- Victim action needed
- Not needed
- Fix
- None listed
What is CVE-2026-13457?
CVE-2026-13457 is a high-severity vulnerability in InstaWP Connect – 1-click WP Staging & Migration, published on 11 Aug 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Official description
The InstaWP Connect – 1-click WP Staging & Migration plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Remote Code Execution in all versions up to, and including, 0.1.3.6 via the (top-level script) function. This is due to the plugin stores its encrypted options file as options-{migrate_key}.txt in wp-content/instawpbackups/ without deploying an index.php or .htaccess to prevent directory listing, exposing the 40-character migrate_key on Apache servers with directory indexing enabled, which allows an attacker to derive the AES-256-CBC passphrase via SHA256(migrate_key), decrypt the options file to recover the api_signature. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to get the database access details and api_signature. Exploitation requires the target WordPress site to be hosted on Apache with directory listing enabled (Options +Indexes) for the wp-content/instawpbackups/ directory, and time limited because it can only be exploited during the migration period.
Weakness: CWE-434
Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-13457?
How do I fix CVE-2026-13457?
No fix has been published for CVE-2026-13457 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.
Is CVE-2026-13457 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-13457 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Sources
Also known as GHSA-f2vh-3ghc-c5xc.