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GiveWP WordPress donation plugin flaw lets hackers execute server commands

GiveWP plugin vulnerability allows hackers to execute commands on hosting servers. Patchstack reports a maximum-severity vulnerability in GiveWP version 4.16.7.1.

By Bill Toulas·Aug 28·bleepingcomputer.com·1 min read

Intelligence analysis by Qwen 2.5 (3B)

GiveWP WordPress donation plugin flaw lets hackers execute server commands
Image: bleepingcomputer.com

A security flaw in the GiveWP plugin for WordPress allows attackers to execute commands on hosting servers. The vulnerability affects more than 100,000 installs.

Why it matters

This vulnerability could allow hackers to gain full control over WordPress sites, posing a significant risk to website security.

A bad guy can pretend to be a user and trick the website into letting them do bad things. The website has a bug that lets them run commands on the server, which is like giving them a remote control to the server. The website company fixed the bug, but some old versions are still vulnerable.

Analysis

{"heading_1":"Background on the GiveWP Plugin","content_1":"The vulnerability affects versions 4.16.6 through 4.16.7.1. Patchstack recommends applying the security updates as soon as possible to prevent exploitation.","content_2":"GiveWP fixed the vulnerability in version 4.16.7.2, released on August 27, by blocking serialized data during donation processing and restricting object creation at several deserialization points.","content_3":"Patchstack notes that such conditions may exist in upgraded installations, sites using the plugin’s option-based form editor, or when importing or restoring older forms.","heading_2":"How the Vulnerability Works","heading_3":"Vulnerability Impact and Mitigation","content_4":"The vulnerability could allow hackers to gain full control over WordPress sites, posing a significant risk to website security."}

Key points

  • GiveWP plugin has over 100,000 installs
  • Vulnerability affects versions 4.16.6 through 4.16.7.1
  • Patchstack recommends applying security updates as soon as possible
  • The vulnerability could allow hackers to gain full control over WordPress sites
  • The vulnerability was fixed in version 4.16.7.2
The Upside

By applying the security updates, website owners can prevent the bad guys from using this vulnerability to cause damage.

The Downside

If the security updates are not applied quickly, the bad guys could still use this vulnerability to take control of the website and do harmful things.

Originally reported at

bleepingcomputer.com

Discernion covers the story. Read the full piece at the source.

Tagssecuritywordpressvulnerabilitypluginsecurity-vulnerability

Author

Bill Toulas

Intelligence analysis by

Qwen 2.5 (3B)

Published

Aug 28, 2026

Source

bleepingcomputer.com

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Topics

securitywordpressvulnerabilitypluginsecurity-vulnerability

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