Vulnerability identifier: #VU21789

Vulnerability risk: Medium

CVSSv3.1: 4.8 [CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N/E:P/RL:O/RC:C]

CVE-ID: CVE-2019-17671

CWE-ID: CWE-284

Exploitation vector: Network

Exploit availability: Yes

Vulnerable software:
WordPress
Web applications / CMS

Vendor: WordPress.ORG

Description

The vulnerability allows a remote attacker to gain unauthorized access to otherwise restricted functionality.

The vulnerability exists in the "WP_Query" due to improper access restrictions to private and draft posts. A remote unauthenticated attacker can use a method to view posts.

Example:

http://[host]/?static=1&order=asc

Mitigation
Install updates from vendor's website.

Vulnerable software versions

WordPress: 3.7 - 3.7.30, 3.8 - 3.8.30, 3.9 - 3.9.28, 4.0 - 4.0.27, 4.4 - 4.4.20, 4.1 - 4.1.27, 4.2 - 4.2.24, 4.3 - 4.3.20, 4.5 - 4.5.18, 4.6 - 4.6.15, 4.7 - 4.7.14, 4.8 - 4.8.10, 4.9 - 4.9.11, 5.0 - 5.0.6, 5.1 - 5.1.2, 5.2 - 5.2.3

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External links
http://wordpress.org/news/2019/10/wordpress-5-2-4-security-release/
http://blog.wpscan.org/wordpress/security/release/2019/10/15/wordpress-524-security-release-breakdown.html
http://github.com/WordPress/WordPress/commit/f82ed753cf00329a5e41f2cb6dc521085136f308
http://0day.work/proof-of-concept-for-wordpress-5-2-3-viewing-unauthenticated-posts/

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Q & A

Can this vulnerability be exploited remotely?

Yes. This vulnerability can be exploited by a remote non-authenticated attacker via the Internet.

Is there known malware, which exploits this vulnerability?

No. We are not aware of malware exploiting this vulnerability. However, proof of concept for this vulnerability is available.