Attackers exploited CVE-2024-27956, a critical unauthenticated SQL injection in the WordPress Automatic plugin, to create administrator accounts and upload malicious files, including web shells and backdoors. The campaign was reported in April 2024. If your site may have been exposed, update the plugin—but also investigate for signs of compromise, because installing a fix does not remove an attacker’s existing access or persistence.
What happened in the WP-Automatic attack
WPScan reported on April 24, 2024, that attackers were exploiting CVE-2024-27956 in the plugin, also branded WP-Automatic. The flaw allowed unauthenticated SQL injection: specially crafted requests could cause unauthorized database queries without the attacker first logging in. The reported attack chain used that access to create administrator accounts, then upload malicious files such as web shells or backdoors. A web shell can give an attacker a way to run commands or control files through a web-accessible script.
WPScan said attackers sometimes renamed a vulnerable plugin file, complicating identification and potentially preventing other attackers from using the same route. The UAE Cyber Security Council’s April 29, 2024 advisory also described active exploitation, administrator creation, theft of sensitive information, malicious uploads, and potential full site control.
The two sources reported different severity scores: the UAE Cyber Security Council assigned CVE-2024-27956 a CVSS score of 9.9 in its April 29 advisory, while WPScan listed 9.8 (CVSS v3.1) in its April 24 report. These are source-attributed ratings, not a single agreed score.
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What the reported numbers do—and do not—show
WPScan reported 5,576,488 attack attempts logged since public disclosure. That is the count WPScan said it observed, not a count of confirmed successful compromises or a measure of all internet-wide activity. WPScan reported that Patchstack publicly disclosed the vulnerability on March 13, 2024, and that the campaign peaked on March 31, 2024. These are historical campaign figures, not current exploit-volume or exposure estimates.
Which plugin versions were affected
The UAE Cyber Security Council’s April 29, 2024 advisory listed WordPress Automatic versions below 3.9.2.0 as affected and version 3.92.1 or later as fixed at that time. That is historical version guidance, not a recommendation to install 3.92.1 now: the available reporting does not establish the latest release as of October 4, 2026. Check the plugin’s current vendor update channel and install a currently supported release.
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Do not confuse CVE-2024-27956 with CVE-2024-27954
The backdoor campaign in this article concerns CVE-2024-27956, the unauthenticated SQL injection. CVE-2024-27954 is a separate vulnerability in the same plugin. Check Point describes CVE-2024-27954 as arbitrary file download, and Wordfence classifies it as SSRF and arbitrary file download. Wordfence lists versions through 3.92.0 as affected and 3.92.1 as patched for that separate issue. The overlap in historical version information does not make the vulnerabilities or their impacts interchangeable.
Indicators associated with the reported campaign
WPScan’s campaign report and the UAE advisory identify the following clues. They are campaign-specific indicators, not a complete forensic checklist; their absence does not prove a site is clean.
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- An unexpected administrator account with a name beginning
xtw. - A renamed plugin file at
wp-content/plugins/wp-automatic/inc/csv65f82ab408b3.php, reported in place ofcsv.php. - A file named
web.phpwith SHA1 hashb0ca85463fe805ffdf809206771719dc571eb052. - A file named
index.phpwith SHA1 hash8e83c42ffd3c5a88b2b2853ff931164ebce1c0f3.
Compare suspicious files and accounts with a known-good copy or a trusted security review. A filename or hash match is a reason to investigate, not by itself a complete determination of the incident’s scope.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What to do if your site runs WordPress Automatic
- Update the plugin. Use the vendor’s current update channel to install a currently supported release. Do not treat the advisory’s 3.92.1 historical fixed-version reference as current-release advice.
- Review administrator accounts. Check for unexpected users, especially administrator names beginning with
xtw. Remove unauthorized accounts and investigate when and how they were created. - Inspect files and changes. Look for the reported renamed plugin file and named files and hashes, then investigate other unexpected code, plugin changes, or uploads. The reported indicators are not exhaustive.
- Monitor and add protective controls. The advisories recommend security monitoring; WPScan also discusses WAF rules and malware detection and cleanup measures. A WAF may help limit malicious requests, but it does not remove persistence already installed on a compromised site.
- Recover carefully if compromise is confirmed. Restore from a known-clean backup or seek specialist incident response. Preserve enough information to understand the compromise and verify that unauthorized accounts and files are gone before considering recovery complete.
Keep current backups, as recommended by the advisories, so a clean recovery option is available. Patching closes the vulnerable route; investigation and recovery address any access or malicious changes left behind.
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