Is CVE-2026-8206 actively exploited?

Yes. CVE-2026-8206 is listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, which means exploitation in the wild has been confirmed.

Can CVE-2026-8206 be exploited remotely?

Yes. CVE-2026-8206 is exploitable remotely over the network (CVSS attack vector: Network).

What is the CVSS score of CVE-2026-8206?

CVE-2026-8206 has a CVSS score of 9.8 (CRITICAL).

HOME VULNERABILITIESCVE-2026-8206

CRITICALCISA KEVIN THE WILD

CVE-2026-8206

CWE-269Published: June 2, 2026· Updated: Jun 2, 2026

9.8

CVSS v3.1

EPSS:0.12%probability of exploitation in 30 daysPercentile:30.4th

Official Description

The Kirki – Freeform Page Builder, Website Builder & Customizer plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to privilege escalation via account takeover in all versions 6.0.0 to 6.0.6. This is due to the plugin accepting an arbitrary email address when a username is used in the password reset request. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to send a password reset link for any user registered on the site to their own email address.

NVD Source

Risk Analysis

A critical privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the Kirki WordPress plugin, allowing unauthenticated attackers to take over user accounts. This is due to the plugin accepting arbitrary email addresses during password reset requests. With a CVSS score of 9.8, this poses an extremely high risk, further compounded by its inclusion in CISA's KEV catalog.

This vulnerability is actively exploited in the wild. Its network attack vector and low attack complexity make it easily exploitable remotely.

Recommended Action

Upgrade the Kirki plugin to a version outside the 6.0.0 to 6.0.6 range. Implement strong password policies and multi-factor authentication for all WordPress users.

Generated by the CTIWATCH analysis pipeline from this CVE's metadata (CVSS, EPSS, KEV status, exploit intelligence). Verify against vendor advisories before acting.

Technical Analysis

CVE-2026-8206 can be exploited remotely over the network without requiring physical or adjacent access, significantly expanding the attack surface for threat actors.

The vulnerability requires no privileges and no user interaction, making it a prime target for automated exploitation campaigns and worm-like propagation.

A successful exploit results in complete confidentiality breach (data exposure), full integrity compromise (data manipulation), availability disruption (denial of service), with a CVSS base score of 9.8.

CISA has added CVE-2026-8206 to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, confirming active exploitation in the wild. U.S. federal agencies are required to patch this within the mandated timeframe, and all organizations should treat remediation as urgent.

CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown

Exploitability

Attack VectorNetwork

Attack ComplexityLow

Privileges Req.None

User InteractionNone

ScopeUnchanged

Impact

ConfidentialityHigh

IntegrityHigh

AvailabilityHigh

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Affected Vendors & Products

Mentioned vendors (from description):

WordPress

CPE data not yet available in NVD for this CVE.

Exploit & PoC Resources

ACTIVE EXPLOITATIONConfirmed exploitation in the wild

Exploit-DB

Offensive Security exploit database

GitHub PoC Search

Community PoC repositories

Rapid7 / Metasploit

Metasploit module search

PacketStorm

Security advisories & exploits

External links open in a new tab. Always verify in a controlled environment before use.

News & Research Mentioning CVE-2026-8206

Critical Kirki flaw exploited to hijack WordPress admin accounts

BleepingComputer· Jun 2, 2026

Hackers are exploiting a critical privilege escalation vulnerability (CVE-2026-8206) in the Kirki plugin for WordPress to take over any user account, including those belonging to administrators. [...] [xlite_meta score:58 src:BleepingComputer xlite_fp:3397b9e68fab4be16faa9177cadf34586c93923176e5e8e92ee11aaea4102be7]