Unauthenticated RCE in a widely used WordPress plugin (The Events Calendar); exploitable on public sites and can lead to server takeover and mass compromise.
CVE-2026-78006
Unauthenticated RCE in The Events Calendar WP plugin via comment/unserialize path
Is CVE-2026-78006 being exploited?
Not confirmed. CVE-2026-78006 does not appear in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, which records only exploitation that has been observed and reported publicly. That is evidence of absence of a report, not evidence the flaw is unattacked. EPSS currently estimates a 0.78% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
How severe is CVE-2026-78006?
CVE-2026-78006 is rated Critical with a CVSS score of 9.8. Severity describes how bad exploitation would be, not how likely it is: pair it with exploitation evidence before deciding what to patch first.
Is there a patch for CVE-2026-78006?
Yes. A fix has been recorded for CVE-2026-78006. The vendor advisory is the authority on the exact fixed version — apply it from there rather than from a summary.
What does CVE-2026-78006 affect?
CVE-2026-78006 affects The Events Calendar WordPress plugin <= 6.17.4, WordPress sites with comments enabled and V2 single-event template. Confirm the exact affected versions against the vendor advisory before deciding you are exposed.
What should I do about CVE-2026-78006?
Update plugin to fixed version immediately; disable comments if update not possible
Exploitation status reflects CISA's KEV catalog as we last synced it. Check the catalog directly.
Remote unauthenticated code execution on web server via crafted comment leading to PHP unserialize/magic-method execution; attacker can run arbitrary code, deploy backdoors, deface, or pivot.
Immediate action required
- affected<= 6.17.4
As published in the CVE Program record. A version outside these ranges is not a statement that it is unaffected — vendors sometimes understate a range, and distribution-backported builds carry upstream numbers that do not reflect what was patched into them.