35+ WordPress Hacking Statistics & Security Data (2026)

11,334 vulnerabilities in a single year. 91% in plugins. Exploits launching within 5 hours. Here are 35+ WordPress security and hacking statistics from Patchstack’s 2026 report — the data every WordPress site owner needs to see.

Key WordPress Security Statistics (2026)

11,334 vulnerabilities discovered in 2025 — up 42% YoY (Patchstack)
91% of vulnerabilities are in plugins; only 6 in WordPress core
Median time to mass exploitation: 5 hours
46% unpatched at time of disclosure
43% of vulnerabilities found in 2024 required no authentication (Patchstack 2025 report)
Traditional defences blocked only 12% of WordPress-specific attacks in Patchstack’s 2025 pentests

WordPress Vulnerability Trends

YearVulnerabilitiesYoY Change20224,528—20235,948+31%20247,966+34%202511,334+42%

Source: Patchstack State of WordPress Security 2026

Vulnerabilities tracked in the Patchstack database: 53,000+ (Patchstack)
333 vulnerabilities disclosed in a single weekly report in January 2026, about 48 a day (Liquid Web)
Highly exploitable vulnerabilities increased 113% YoY in 2025

Vulnerability Breakdown

CategoryPercentageCount (2025)Plugins91%~10,314Themes9%~1,020WordPress core<0.1%Only 6

Vulnerability Type (2024)% of TotalXSS (Cross-Site Scripting)47.7%Access Control14.5%CSRF9.3%SQL Injection6.2%Information Disclosure5.8%Other16.5%

Source: Patchstack 2025 report (2024 data). In 2025, Broken Access Control was the most exploited type (Patchstack 2026).

Bar chart of WordPress vulnerability types found in 2024: XSS 47.7%, access control 14.5%, CSRF 9.3%, SQL injection 6.2%, information disclosure 5.8%, other 16.5%

Exploit Timeline

Timeframe% ExploitedWithin 5 hours (median)Mass exploitation beginsWithin 6 hours20%Within 24 hours45%Within 72 hours58%Within 7 days70%

Source: Patchstack

Critical insight: 46% of vulnerabilities had NO developer patch when disclosed. You can’t rely solely on updates — you need proactive security (WAF, monitoring, minimal plugins).

WordPress Security Practices

Traditional defences blocked only 12% of WordPress-specific attacks in Patchstack’s 2025 pentests
43% of vulnerabilities found in 2024 were exploitable without authentication
AI models introduced a security flaw in about 44% of code-generation tasks (Veracode 2026)
~2.6% of WordPress sites run version 4.x or older — severe security risk (WordPress.org)
Only ~62% run a PHP version with active security patches (PHP 8.2 or newer)

Key Takeaways

WordPress core is secure. Only 6 vulnerabilities in 2025. The problem is plugins (91%).

Speed matters. Exploits launch within 5 hours. Automated updates are essential.

Less is more. Every plugin is an attack surface. Remove what you don’t use.

WAFs aren’t enough. Traditional defences blocked only 12% of WordPress-specific attacks in testing. Use WordPress-specific security.

Sources

Frequently Asked Questions

How many WordPress sites get hacked?

With 11,334 vulnerabilities discovered in 2025 and exploits launching within 5 hours of disclosure, thousands of WordPress sites are compromised daily. The exact number isn’t tracked globally.

Is WordPress secure?

WordPress core is very secure — only 6 vulnerabilities in 2025. The risk comes from plugins (91% of vulnerabilities) and outdated installations. A WordPress site with minimal, updated plugins and proper security is as safe as any platform.

What causes most WordPress hacks?

Vulnerable plugins cause 91% of WordPress security issues. XSS (cross-site scripting) was 47.7% of vulnerabilities found in 2024, and 43% of them could be exploited without any authentication. In 2025, Broken Access Control was the most exploited type.

For broader cybersecurity data, see our Hacking Statistics and Password Statistics. For WordPress help, browse our WordPress Statistics.

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