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PatchSiren cyber security CVE debrief

CVE-2026-97278 WP SYNTEX CVE debrief

A PHP Object Injection vulnerability exists in the WordPress Polylang plugin versions up to 3.8.9. This issue, known as CVE-2026-97278, was published on October 14, 2026, and has a CVSS score of 7.2, indicating a high severity. The vulnerability arises from the deserialization of untrusted data, which allows for object injection. The affected product is Polylang by WP SYNTEX, and the vulnerability impacts versions from n/a through 3.8.9. The CVE record and NVD entry provide official details on this vulnerability.

Vendor
WP SYNTEX
Product
Polylang
CVSS
HIGH 7.2
CISA KEV
Not listed in stored evidence
Original CVE published
2026-10-14
Original CVE updated
2026-10-14
Advisory published
2026-10-14
Advisory updated
2026-10-14

Who should care

Defenders managing WordPress sites with the Polylang plugin installed should assess their exposure and prioritize updating to a secure version.

Why it matters

CVE-2026-97278 is a high-severity PHP Object Injection vulnerability in the WordPress Polylang plugin. Defenders managing WordPress sites with Polylang installed should verify their version, update if necessary, and monitor for exploitation attempts.

  • Verify Polylang version on WordPress sites to determine exposure.
  • Update Polylang to version 3.8.10 or later to mitigate vulnerability.
  • Monitor WordPress sites for potential exploitation attempts.

Technical summary

The WordPress Polylang plugin versions up to 3.8.9 are vulnerable to a PHP Object Injection attack due to the deserialization of untrusted data. This vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2026-97278, has a CVSS score of 7.2, indicating high severity. The vulnerability affects Polylang by WP SYNTEX, impacting versions from n/a through 3.8.9.

Defensive priority

Defenders should prioritize verifying the version of Polylang installed on their WordPress sites and updating to version 3.8.10 or later if necessary.

Recommended defensive actions

  • Verify the version of Polylang installed on WordPress sites.
  • Update Polylang to version 3.8.10 or later if necessary.
  • Monitor WordPress sites for potential exploitation attempts.

Evidence notes

The CVE Program and NVD provide official records of this vulnerability. The CVE record was published on October 14, 2026, and has not been modified since then. The NVD entry is currently not provided.

Sources and references

Verified primary and authoritative sources

  • CVE-2026-97278 CVE Program record

    Publisher, destination, and source semantics verified

    URL: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-97278

    CVE Program - Official CVE Program record with source-provided CVE metadata.

  • CVE-2026-97278 NVD vulnerability detail

    Publisher, destination, and source semantics verified

    URL: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-97278

    NIST National Vulnerability Database - Official NIST NVD detail page and source-specific vulnerability assessment.

Supplemental references

Methodology and review provenance

AI-assisted synthesis based on stored public vulnerability evidence. System validation, approval state, and publication status do not by themselves establish human review of this revision. PatchSiren helps prioritize defensive review and does not prove exposure or remediation on any system.