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PHP2Shell in WP Engine: is it affected and how to fix it

Quick verdict

Affected until you install the vendor's fixed release.

Vendor status: Vendor fix available
PHP: platform patched · named builds include 7.4.33.17, 8.2.35, 8.4.27, 8.5.12 · no customer action
Last checked: 2026-10-22

WP Engine's status page incident says it has finished deploying security patches for the two critical PHP vulnerabilities across its platform, that the patches have been applied to the PHP version each site uses, and that customers do not need to do anything. The updated versions it names include PHP 7.4.33.17, 8.2.35, 8.4.27 and 8.5.12. A secondary tracker (ActiveSet) puts the completion at 01:19 UTC on 22 October; this site could not load the status page directly, so that time is not confirmed at the source. WP Engine posted a matching completion notice for its Flywheel platform, according to the same tracker. WP Engine does not say anything about compromises on its platform in the text we could read.

How to check the PHP version WP Engine uses

Run the command for your setup. A version at or above 8.2.35, 8.3.36, 8.4.27 or 8.5.12 in its branch is fixed; older branches are fixed only by a vendor build that says so.

php -v

The command-line php can differ from the PHP that serves the site. To be sure, check the web SAPI (a temporary phpinfo() page behind authentication, or the panel's PHP settings) and remove it afterwards. Our version checker compares a version number for you.

🔎 Got a version number? Paste it into the PHP2Shell checker →

How to fix PHP2Shell in WP Engine

Find out where the PHP that runs this application comes from: your distribution, a third-party repository (Ondřej Surý, Remi), a hosting panel, a Docker image or your host.
Update that PHP to 8.2.35, 8.3.36, 8.4.27, 8.5.12 or a vendor build with the backported fix, and restart every PHP worker.
On shared or managed hosting you cannot patch PHP yourself: ask the host whether the fixed PHP is deployed, and switch the site to a fixed version in the panel.
If the site still runs PHP 8.1 or older, move it to a supported branch; PHP published only source patches for 7.4, 8.0 and 8.1.

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If you cannot patch yet

Set session.upload_progress.enabled = 0 where applications cannot override it (php.ini, php_admin_value in the FPM pool or Apache config), and restart PHP.
On PHP 8.5, set fatal_error_backtraces = 0.
PHP's interim advice also covers memory_limit and a low post_max_size; follow the remediation page exactly, because these settings only reduce some paths.
Restrict access (VPN, IP allowlist) or take the service offline if it runs PHP 8.1 or older with no vendor backport. WAF rules help but are not a fix.

FAQ

Is WP Engine affected by PHP2Shell?

Affected until you install the vendor's fixed release. WP Engine's status page incident says it has finished deploying security patches for the two critical PHP vulnerabilities across its platform, that the patches have been applied to the PHP version each site uses, and that customers do not need to do anything. The updated versions it names include PHP 7.4.33.17, 8.2.35, 8.4.27 and 8.5.12. A secondary tracker (ActiveSet) puts the completion at 01:19 UTC on 22 October; this site could not load the status page directly, so that time is not confirmed at the source. WP Engine posted a matching completion notice for its Flywheel platform, according to the same tracker. WP Engine does not say anything about compromises on its platform in the text we could read.

Does updating WP Engine itself fix CVE-2026-109618 and CVE-2026-109619?

Only if the update contains fixed PHP. PHP2Shell is a flaw in the PHP interpreter, so what matters is the PHP that WP Engine runs on. Check the version after updating.

Which PHP versions fix PHP2Shell?

PHP 8.2.35, 8.3.36, 8.4.27 and 8.5.12, released 21 October 2026. PHP 8.1 and older get no release from the PHP project; only vendor builds with a backport (or a self-built source patch for 7.4, 8.0 and 8.1) fix them.

What if WP Engine has no fix yet?

Keep its PHP-based web interface off the internet (VPN or IP allowlist), apply PHP's interim settings such as disabling session upload progress, and install the vendor update as soon as it ships. Interim settings reduce risk but are not a fix.

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Sources

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Unofficial summary of public sources. This site is not affiliated with the vendor or the PHP project and hosts no exploit code.