CVE-2017-20251
WordPress Insert PHP Plugin 4.7.0 PHP Code Injection via REST API
Description
WordPress Insert PHP plugin versions before 3.3.1 contain a PHP code injection vulnerability that allows unauthenticated attackers to execute arbitrary PHP code by injecting malicious shortcodes through the WordPress REST API. Attackers can send POST requests to the wp-json/wp/v2/posts endpoint with crafted content containing insert_php shortcodes to include and execute remote PHP files on the server.
INFO
Published Date :
June 9, 2026, 1:16 p.m.
Last Modified :
June 9, 2026, 1:51 p.m.
Remotely Exploit :
Yes !
Source :
[email protected]
Affected Products
The following products are affected by CVE-2017-20251
vulnerability.
Even if cvefeed.io is aware of the exact versions of the
products
that
are
affected, the information is not represented in the table below.
No affected product recoded yet
CVSS Scores
| Score | Version | Severity | Vector | Exploitability Score | Impact Score | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS 3.1 | CRITICAL | 83251b91-4cc7-4094-a5c7-464a1b83ea10 | ||||
| CVSS 3.1 | CRITICAL | [email protected] | ||||
| CVSS 4.0 | CRITICAL | 83251b91-4cc7-4094-a5c7-464a1b83ea10 | ||||
| CVSS 4.0 | CRITICAL | [email protected] |
Solution
- Update the Insert PHP plugin to version 3.3.1 or later.
- Remove any unauthorized shortcodes or files.
- Monitor REST API for malicious requests.
References to Advisories, Solutions, and Tools
Here, you will find a curated list of external links that provide in-depth
information, practical solutions, and valuable tools related to
CVE-2017-20251.
| URL | Resource |
|---|---|
| https://fr.wordpress.org/plugins/insert-php/ | |
| https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/41308 | |
| https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/wordpress-insert-php-plugin-php-code-injection-via-rest-api |
CWE - Common Weakness Enumeration
While CVE identifies
specific instances of vulnerabilities, CWE categorizes the common flaws or
weaknesses that can lead to vulnerabilities. CVE-2017-20251 is
associated with the following CWEs:
Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC)
Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification
(CAPEC)
stores attack patterns, which are descriptions of the common attributes and
approaches employed by adversaries to exploit the CVE-2017-20251
weaknesses.
We scan GitHub repositories to detect new proof-of-concept exploits. Following list is a collection of public exploits and proof-of-concepts, which have been published on GitHub (sorted by the most recently updated).
Results are limited to the first 15 repositories due to potential performance issues.
The following list is the news that have been mention
CVE-2017-20251 vulnerability anywhere in the article.
The following table lists the changes that have been made to the
CVE-2017-20251 vulnerability over time.
Vulnerability history details can be useful for understanding the evolution of a vulnerability, and for identifying the most recent changes that may impact the vulnerability's severity, exploitability, or other characteristics.
-
New CVE Received by [email protected]
Jun. 09, 2026
Action Type Old Value New Value Added Tag unsupported-when-assigned Added Description WordPress Insert PHP plugin versions before 3.3.1 contain a PHP code injection vulnerability that allows unauthenticated attackers to execute arbitrary PHP code by injecting malicious shortcodes through the WordPress REST API. Attackers can send POST requests to the wp-json/wp/v2/posts endpoint with crafted content containing insert_php shortcodes to include and execute remote PHP files on the server. Added CVSS V4.0 AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X Added CVSS V3.1 AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H Added CWE CWE-94 Added Reference https://fr.wordpress.org/plugins/insert-php/ Added Reference https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/41308 Added Reference https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/wordpress-insert-php-plugin-php-code-injection-via-rest-api