Creating a new WordPress admin account with only database access

Creating a new WordPress user when you don’t have access to WordPress but do have access to the hosting control panel is rather simple.

Creating a new WordPress admin account can be done with the following MySQL query

Click To Tweet

Simply replace the strings in the first INSERT query that are wrapped around square brackets, and run the SQL statement on your server. You will then be able to successfully log into WordPress.

INSERT INTO `wp_users` (
    `user_login`, `user_pass`, `user_nicename`, `user_email`,
    `user_url`, `user_registered`, `user_activation_key`,
    `user_status`, `display_name`
) VALUES (
    '[username]', MD5('[password]'), '[username]', '[email-address]',
    '', NOW(), '', 0, '[username]'
);

--
-- Make MySQL remember the ID for the user just inserted for use later
--
SET @MY_USER_ID = LAST_INSERT_ID();

--
-- Add the magic sauce to have WordPress know the user is an admin...
--
INSERT INTO `wp_usermeta` (`user_id`, `meta_key`, `meta_value`) VALUES
(
        @MY_USER_ID, 'wp_capabilities',
        'a:2:{s:13:"administrator";s:1:"1";s:14:"backwpup_admin";b:1;}'
),
(@MY_USER_ID, 'wp_user_level', '10'),
(@MY_USER_ID, 'wp_dashboard_quick_press_last_post_id', '620'),
(@MY_USER_ID, 'wp_user-settings', 'editor=tinymce&uploader=1&hidetb=1'),
(@MY_USER_ID, 'wp_user-settings-time', UNIX_TIMESTAMP());

Leave a Comment