Arbitrary file upload in Instawp Connect – 1-Click Wp Staging & Migration
CVE-2026-13457
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.
Vulnerability class: Unrestricted File Upload
Published · last modified .
CVSS v3 metric
CVSS v3 base score 7.5 (High). Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N.
EPSS exploit prediction
EPSS: 0.009 (56.5th percentile), scored .
Very low probability of exploitation in the next 30 days; routine patching cadence is appropriate. 56th percentile — 56.5% of CVEs in the catalogue have a lower EPSS than this one. How to read EPSS.
EPSS over last 30 days · oldest: 0.006 · newest: 0.009 · change: +0.002
Affected products
- Instawp Connect – 1-Click Wp Staging & Migration — versions 0
Weakness classification (CWE)
References
Frequently asked questions
- What is CVE-2026-13457?
- CVE-2026-13457 is a high-severity vulnerability in Instawp Connect – 1-Click Wp Staging & Migration, classified under Unrestricted Upload of File with Dangerous Type. CVSS score: 7.5/10. Published 2026-08-11.
- How severe is CVE-2026-13457?
- High severity. CVSS v3 base score is 7.5 out of 10.