Suspicious PHP Webshell Access under WordPress Cache Directory

PremiumReviewedSigma · High · v1
Category
webserver
Author
HuntRule
Published
2026-06-15
Updated
2026-08-28

ATT&CK techniques

Execution → Persistence
  1. Recon

  2. Resource Dev

  3. Initial Access

  4. Priv Esc

  5. Defense Evasion

  6. Cred Access

  7. Discovery

  8. Lateral Movement

  9. Collection

  10. C2

  11. Exfiltration

  12. Impact

What it detects

This rule detects HTTP requests to a PHP file located in the WordPress wp-content cache directory. Legitimate WordPress caching stores static HTML and never executable PHP, so a PHP file served from this path indicates a dropped webshell used for post exploitation command execution.

Related detections9 linkedT1059 — drag to rearrange
Possible Oracle Opera CGI Webshell Command Execution via operabin
MSBuild Executing Non-Project File or Remote Payload
Possible Ivanti Pulse Connect Secure Command Injection via License Keys-Status Endpoint (via webserver)
Possible Citrix ShareFile Unauthenticated Upload Path Traversal Webshell (CVE-2023-24489) (via webserver)
Possible Craft CMS RCE via Query-String CLI Option Injection
Possible Unauthenticated Admin Creation in Dynamicweb CVE-2022-25369
Possible DotCMS Path Traversal Webshell Upload via content API CVE-2022-26352
Possible Aspera Faspex Pre-Auth RCE via YAML Deserialization in package_relay (via webserver)
Possible Avaya Aura Device Services WebDAV PHP Webshell Upload via PhoneBackup (via webserver)
Suspicious PHP Webshell Access under WordPress Cache Directory
Pivot detection · T1059 · 9 related

Detection content is published as a reviewed draft. Tune thresholds and exclusions against your own telemetry before enabling this rule for alerting.