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Rank Math SEO CVE-2026-104752

| EUVDEUVD-2026-96118 HIGH
Unrestricted Upload of File with Dangerous Type (CWE-434)
2026-10-10 contact@wpscan.com GHSA-949x-75hv-69g2
7.2
CVSS 3.1 · Vendor: wpscan
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Attack ChainAIDerived

Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain

  1. Access
    Obtain WordPress admin access
  2. Delivery
    Open Rank Math settings import
  3. Exploit
    Upload malicious PHP as import file
  4. Execution
    Request uploaded file to execute
  5. Impact
    Remote code execution on server

Vulnerability Assessment

Weakness
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A06:2025 - Insecure Design
ASVS 5.0
V5 - File Handling File type validation, storage isolation
MITRE ATT&CK

2 techniques across 2 tactics: Command and Control, Persistence

The technique list with ATT&CK links and the kill-chain view is part of the Basic plan and up.

Exploitation Conditions

Exploitation requires that the attacker already possess WordPress administrator-level access and reach the Rank Math SEO settings import feature, which is the exact function that fails to validate uploaded file type. The limiting factors are significant: it is not remotely reachable by an unauthenticated attacker (CVSS PR:H confirms authentication at administrator level), so an external attacker must first compromise or obtain admin credentials; the affected product is any WordPress site running Rank Math SEO before version 1.0.280. There is no user-interaction requirement (UI:N) once admin access is held, and no special non-default plugin configuration is described - the import feature is a standard part of the plugin.

Impact

This is a high-severity-looking but comparatively low-real-risk issue once the privilege requirement is accounted for. The CVSS 3.1 vector (AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H, base 7.2) confirms network reachability with low complexity and no user interaction, but PR:H means the attacker must already hold administrator-level access to the WordPress site before exploitation - consistent with the description ('users with administrator-level access'). That single factor dominates the real-world assessment: a WordPress administrator can already install plugins and themes and thus already has a path to code execution, so this vulnerability mainly collapses a privilege boundary that is largely nominal in default WordPress. No EPSS score, no CISA KEV listing, and no public POC were provided in the input, so there are no signals of active or imminent exploitation. There is no SSVC decision data supplied. No signals conflict with one another here (CVSS network vector is compatible with the import-via-admin-dashboard description); the main caveat is that the high CVSS could overstate urgency relative to the admin precondition. Overall: patch in the normal maintenance cycle, prioritize if administrator credentials are weakly protected or shared.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

An attacker who has already obtained WordPress administrator access (via stolen credentials, a compromised admin account, or a separate privilege escalation) navigates to Rank Math SEO's settings import feature and uploads a crafted PHP file disguised as an import file. Because the plugin does not correctly validate the uploaded file type, the PHP file lands in a web-accessible location and is executed when requested, yielding remote code execution on the host. No public exploit code was identified at time of analysis, and the low attack complexity (AC:L) means exploitation is straightforward once admin access is held.

This Week Schedule remediation this week. Why: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9).
Patch available 0.2% exploitation probability (EPSS)

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AnalysisAIv1 – Oct 10, 2026

Authenticated remote code execution in Rank Math SEO before 1.0.280 is possible because the WordPress plugin's settings import feature fails to validate uploaded file types, allowing an administrator to upload a PHP file for server-side execution. The CVSS vector is network-reachable but requires high privileges (PR:H), so an attacker must already hold administrator-level WordPress access; no public exploit was identified at time of analysis, and the vendor has released a patch. While the 7.2 base score looks significant, the administrator prerequisite makes this a comparatively low-real-risk issue for most deployments.

RemediationAI

Vendor-released patch: 1.0.280. Upgrade Rank Math SEO to version 1.0.280 or later through the WordPress plugin updater or the vendor's release channel, and verify the installed version afterward. If immediate upgrading is not possible, restrict WordPress administrator access to trusted accounts only, enforce strong authentication such as MFA for administrators, and review administrator accounts for unauthorized or dormant users, since exploitation requires administrator-level access and can be performed without user interaction. As a compensating control, consider configuring the web server to block execution of PHP files in upload or import directories; this can interfere with legitimate plugins that intentionally place executable files in those paths, so test before enforcing broadly. Refer to the WPScan advisory at https://wpscan.com/vulnerability/c7caaf99-5b0f-4935-8875-3a2b9c5ed782/ and NVD at https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-104752 for vendor and reference details.

Affected VersionsENISA

Rank Math SEO 0 <1.0.280

Affected Packages

euvd rank_math_seo fix: 1.0.280

Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)

Affects your stack

Affects 1 package in euvd

Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.

Technical ContextAI · show details

The issue is CWE-434, unrestricted upload of a file with a dangerous type. Rank Math SEO is a WordPress plugin, and its settings import feature accepts files for processing but does not properly enforce file type or extension restrictions. Because PHP files are executable when placed in a web-accessible location and processed by the web server, an administrator who can reach the import function can upload a PHP payload and achieve remote code execution. The CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H vector indicates the vulnerability is network-reachable and needs no user interaction, but it requires high privileges (administrator-level). Affected versions are Rank Math SEO before 1.0.280; EUVD lists the range as 0 <1.0.280, and version 1.0.280 contains the vendor fix.

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  • Exploit and PoC references, threat intelligence from 22 sources

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Severity by source

Vendor (wpscan) PRIMARY 7.2 HIGH
AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
vuln.today AI 7.2 HIGH

Exploited over the network via the admin dashboard import feature, so AV:N/AC:L/UI:N; administrator access is required, so PR:H; file upload yields full code execution, so C:H/I:H/A:H.

3.1 AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
4.0 AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:H/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N

Primary rating from Vendor (wpscan).

CVSS VectorVendor: wpscan

Attack Vector
Network
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
High
User Interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

Lifecycle Timeline

4
CVSS changed
Oct 10, 2026 - 12:22 NVD
7.2 (HIGH)
Patch available
Oct 10, 2026 - 07:01 EUVD
CVE Published
Oct 10, 2026 - 06:16 cve.org
HIGH 7.2
CVE Published
Oct 10, 2026 - 06:16 cve.org
UNKNOWN (no severity yet)

DescriptionCVE.org

The Rank Math SEO WordPress plugin before 1.0.280 does not correctly validate the type of a file uploaded through its settings import feature, allowing users with administrator-level access to upload a PHP file and achieve remote code execution.

Executive ViewAI

Why It Matters

The Rank Math SEO plugin for WordPress, used by many organizations to manage search engine optimization, contains a high-severity vulnerability in versions before 1.0.280. Exploitation requires authenticated administrator access, but a successful attack could allow full server compromise, leading to data theft, website defacement, or use of the server as a pivot point for further network intrusion. No public exploit identified at time of analysis. Leadership should prioritize patching to mitigate risks from compromised or malicious admin accounts.

Business Impact: Low
Compensating Controls

Apply vendor patch.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.2%
Top 90% exploitable
Prevalence
High
Rank Math SEO is a very widely deployed WordPress SEO plugin, millions of sites
Social Media
1
Sightings
Data Quality
5 sources
Confidence: Medium

How this decision was reached

The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.

SignalValue
Severity HIGH
CISA KEV No
Public POC No
EPSS 0.2%
Patch available Yes
Active threat No
Deciding rule
HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9)
What every action level means
Emergency Immediate action required. Criteria: CRITICAL + in CISA KEV (actively exploited) without patch, OR CRITICAL + EPSS > 30% without patch, OR CRITICAL + active threat signals without patch.
Act Now Prioritize within 24-48h. Criteria: in KEV with patch available, OR CRITICAL + public POC, OR HIGH + EPSS > 10%, OR CRITICAL + active threat, OR any CRITICAL severity.
This Week Schedule remediation this week. Criteria: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9). Patch within normal change window.
This Month Plan within 30 days. Criteria: MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9), lower exploitation probability. Include in regular patch cycle.
Monitor Track and reassess. Criteria: LOW severity (CVSS 0.1-3.9), minimal exploitation risk. No immediate action needed.

SSVC AssessmentENISA

SSVC Decision
Defer
Exploitation
None
System Exposure· derived
Open
Automatable
No
Human Impact
Low
Technical Impact
Total

Priority Score

36
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: 0
CVSS: +36
PoC: 0
Weaponized: 0
Threat intel: 0
Gov advisory: 0

Attack Technique

Malicious file upload attacks exploit insufficient validation when web applications accept user-provided files.

Remote Code Execution represents the critical moment when an attacker successfully runs arbitrary code on a target system without physical access.

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