Exploit brokers pay $500k for WordPress RCEs. I found one with GPT5.6 and $25

slcyber.io
July 20, 2026
27 min read
65/100
Summary
Exploit brokers have paid $500,000 for a remote code execution (RCE) vulnerability in WordPress. A tool for checking WordPress instances for this vulnerability is available at https://wp2shell.com/.
Key Takeaways
- Exploit brokers are willing to pay up to $500,000 for a remote code execution (RCE) vulnerability in WordPress.
- The tool wp2shell allows users to check if their WordPress instance is vulnerable to RCE attacks.
- The prompt used with GPT5.6 Sol Ultra was adapted to discover zero-day vulnerabilities in WordPress by employing multiple agents for extensive code analysis.
- The approach emphasizes diverse strategies and continuous exploration of different research routes to identify vulnerabilities effectively.
Coverage & discussions
Hacker News · slcyber.io
Community discussions
Community Sentiment
Positives
- LLM-assisted exploit disclosure represents a real and concerning trend, showing how quickly models can generate complex attack vectors.
- The fact that GPT-5.6 didn't block the exploit prompt raises eyebrows about the effectiveness of its guardrails, hinting at potential gaps in AI safety.
Concerns
- WordPress continues to use outdated practices like string concatenation for SQL queries, which is a recipe for disaster in 2026.
- The $500k price tag for vulnerabilities feels exaggerated and raises doubts about the article's credibility — is it clickbait?
- Many believe WordPress is essentially a ticking time bomb for vulnerabilities, with its reliance on complex plugins instead of simple static pages.
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