Index.php — -keyword-wp-includes Phpmailer

Keep your WordPress core updated, and never allow write permissions (777) on the wp-includes folder. If your logs show this string, treat it as an active security incident until you prove otherwise. Stay safe out there.

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Here is what you need to know about why hackers target these three elements together. To understand the risk, you have to understand what each of these terms represents to a hacker: 1. wp-includes (The Target) This is a core directory. While legitimate plugins and themes live in /wp-content , the wp-includes folder holds the engine of your website. No legitimate file inside this folder should ever be directly accessible via a web browser form. 2. PHPMailer (The Vulnerability) PHPMailer is a popular library used by WordPress core to send emails (password resets, admin notifications). Historically, versions of PHPMailer had a severe Remote Code Execution (RCE) vulnerability (CVE-2016-10033). -KEYWORD-wp-includes PHPMailer index.php