What the vulnerability does
01Description
WordPress is a free and open-source content management system written in PHP and paired with a MariaDB database. On a multisite, users with Super Admin role can bypass explicit/additional hardening under certain conditions through object injection. This has been patched in WordPress version 5.8.3. Older affected versions are also fixed via security release, that go back till 3.7.37. We strongly recommend that you keep auto-updates enabled. There are no known workarounds for this issue.
Explanation of Vulnerability in Simple Terms
02Summary
A vulnerability in WordPress core allows authenticated administrators with high privileges to inject malicious code through an unvalidated input vector. The flaw requires network access and high-complexity exploitation conditions. An attacker with admin credentials can read sensitive data, modify site content, or disrupt availability. Sites should update to a patched version immediately.
What an attacker can do
03Attacker Capabilities
Read sensitive data, modify site content, or disrupt site availability if they have admin credentials.
Potential impact on your site
04Site Impact
An admin account compromise could lead to data theft, unauthorized content changes, or site downtime.
Conditions required to exploit
05Prerequisites
Attacker must have administrator-level access to the WordPress site; no user interaction required.
Key dates
06Disclosure timeline
January 6, 2022
CVE published
April 22, 2025
Record updated
