Rising attacks: how to protect your website in a more vulnerable world

This week has been one of the most active in terms of new attack methods. We explain what's happening and how you can protect yourself.

In a world where websites are like open doors to the network, new ways to attack them are published every day. This week, for example, 37 new or updated attack methods have been identified, which is a significant jump compared to previous weeks. But don't worry: we'll explain what this means, how it affects your website, and what you can do to protect yourself.

What's happening in the world

This week, 37 new exploits have been published or updated, i.e., specific methods to exploit security flaws. Of these, 35 are automated templates (nuclei) that allow detecting whether a website has a flaw, and 3 are actual attack codes (exploitdb). This means there are more tools to detect and exploit vulnerabilities, and attackers have more options to try their luck.

In addition, 82 new vulnerabilities have been added to the list of those already being exploited in the real world (KEV). This is a 50.7% increase compared to the average of the last 5 weeks. In total, there are now more than 135 known vulnerabilities that are being used by real attackers.

The details

CVE-2026-109618

• Affected product: PHP
• What it is: A flaw in the way PHP handles certain types of data.
• How it's exploited: It is exploited to execute malicious code on the website.
• What could happen: An attacker could take control of your website, change its content, or steal data.
• Severity: High (CVSS 9.8)
• Likelihood of use: Medium (EPSS 0.11841)
• Already exploited: Yes

CVE-2026-6279

• Affected product: Avada Builder plugin
• What it is: A WordPress plugin for building designs.
• How it's exploited: It is exploited to execute malicious code without needing to be logged in.
• What could happen: An attacker could install malware or steal data.
• Severity: Very high (CVSS 9.8)
• Likelihood of use: Low (EPSS 0.07215)
• Already exploited: Yes

CVE-2026-82901

• Affected product: Ultimate Addons for Contact Form 7 plugin
• What it is: A plugin to enhance the contact form on WordPress.
• How it's exploited: It is exploited to upload malicious files to the website.
• What could happen: An attacker could install malware or steal data.
• Severity: Very high (CVSS 9.8)
• Likelihood of use: Low (EPSS 0.03717)
• Already exploited: Yes

CVE-2026-4883

• Affected product: Piotnet Forms plugin
• What it is: A plugin to create forms in WordPress.
• How it's exploited: It is exploited to upload malicious files to the website.
• What could happen: An attacker could install malware or steal data.
• Severity: Very high (CVSS 9.8)
• Likelihood of use: Low (EPSS 0.03284)
• Already exploited: Yes

CVE-2026-94169

• Affected product: The Grid plugin
• What it is: A plugin to display images and content in WordPress.
• How it's exploited: It is exploited to execute malicious code without needing to be logged in.
• What could happen: An attacker could take control of your website.
• Severity: Very high (CVSS 9.8)
• Likelihood of use: Low (EPSS 0.03282)
• Already exploited: Yes

And what about SWPanel?

SWPanel constantly monitors these vulnerability and attack lists to detect whether they affect our customers' websites. If we detect that a vulnerability affects your website, we notify you through Security 360. In addition, if you installed your website from SWPanel, you can activate automatic updates to keep your CMS and plugins up to date.

How we got here

In the last 6 weeks, the number of new exploits has fluctuated quite a bit:

• 14/09 to 19/09: 33 new exploits
• 21/09 to 25/09: 14 new exploits (-57.6%)
• 28/09 to 03/10: 12 new exploits (-14.3%)
• 05/10 to 08/10: 7 new exploits (-41.7%)
• 11/10 to 15/10: 22 new exploits (+214.3%)
• 21/10 to 24/10 (this week): 37 new exploits (+68.2%)

The average of the previous 5 weeks was 18 new exploits per week. This week, with 37, we exceeded that average by 110.2%. In addition, it's the highest of the last 6 weeks. This indicates that we are in a period of increasing new attack methods.

What's happening behind the numbers

These figures reflect a growing trend in the publication of new exploits. This can be due to several factors:

• More automated tools: Attackers use bots that automatically test whether a website has a flaw.
• More known vulnerabilities: More flaws are discovered each week, and some are made public.
• More attackers: There are more people interested in exploiting these flaws, whether for money, fun, or vandalism.

What we can expect

If the trend continues, it's likely that in the coming weeks we will continue to see an increase in the number of new exploits. A linear projection suggests that next week we could see around 25 new exploits, which would be a 33.2% decrease compared to this week.

• Optimistic scenario: The number of new exploits stabilizes and doesn't keep increasing.
• Pessimistic scenario: The number keeps increasing and more vulnerabilities are published that are already being exploited.

Warning signs to watch for: An increase in Security 360 alerts, or an increase in the number of attack attempts detected on websites.

How it can affect your website or business

Imagine you have an online store with an outdated plugin. An attacker could exploit a flaw in that plugin to steal your customers' data. This could mean:

• Loss of trust: Your customers would no longer trust your store.
• GDPR fines: If personal data is stolen, you could face fines.
• Lost time: You would have to spend hours solving the problem and informing your customers.

Another scenario: if an attacker manages to take control of your website, they could change its content to show pharmacy ads or redirect your visitors to malicious sites. This could affect your Google ranking and your reputation.

How to protect yourself and prevent attacks

1. Keep your CMS and plugins updated: Updates usually include patches for known flaws.
2. Use strong and unique passwords: Don't use the same password on multiple sites.
3. Enable two-factor authentication (2FA): Adds an extra layer of security.
4. Periodically review installed plugins: Uninstall those you don't use and ensure they are updated.
5. Activate security analysis in Security 360: Helps detect if your website has known flaws.
6. Use a web application firewall: Filters attacks before they reach your application.
7. Enable automatic backups: In case of an attack, you can recover your website.
8. Keep your PHP updated: If you're using an unsupported version, you won't receive patches.

What SWPanel tools can help you

• Security analysis in Security 360: Helps detect if your website has known flaws.
• Security alerts in Security 360: Warn you when a flaw affecting your website is published.
• BotLock: Controls and blocks malicious bots and crawlers.
• Web firewall: Filters attacks before they reach your application.
• Automatic CMS updates: If you installed your website from SWPanel, you can activate automatic updates.
• Backups: Allow you to recover your website in case of an attack.
• PHP version change: If you're using an unsupported version, you can switch to a supported one from the panel.
• Ticket support: If you have questions or need help, you can contact us.

Quick summary

• More exploits: This week, 37 new or updated attack methods were published.
• More exploited vulnerabilities: 82 new vulnerabilities were added to the list of those already being used.
• Active protection: Keep your CMS and plugins updated, use strong passwords, and use SWPanel tools.

Sources

This week's data comes from public sources such as Nuclei, ExploitDB, and the KEV catalog.