In in wp-includes/rest-api/endpoints/class-wp-rest-posts-controller.php in WordPress 3.7…
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Network
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- Privilege escalation
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- None · Low · None
- Fix status
- No fix listed
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · NVD. Fix status from CNA. Impact type from CWE-269.
Summary
In in wp-includes/rest-api/endpoints/class-wp-rest-posts-controller.php in WordPress 3.7 to 5.3.0, authenticated users who do not have the rights to publish a post are able to mark posts as sticky or unsticky via the REST API. For example, the contributor role does not have such rights, but this allowed them to bypass that. This has been patched in WordPress 5.3.1, along with all the previous WordPress versions from 3.7 to 5.3 via a minor release.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
Not available: CISA has not published SSVC decision points for this record.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | — | all versions | — | No fix listed | CNA |
- — Vendor— Affected all versions Fixed in — No fix listed CNA
Remediation
No fixed version listed by the sources yet.
Vendor assessments
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2019-20043
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-ppxh-5qq2-77g8
References
Advisory 7
- https://wpvulndb.com/vulnerabilities/9973
- https://wordpress.org/news/2019/12/wordpress-5-3-1-security-and-maintenance-release/
- https://github.com/WordPress/wordpress-develop/commit/1d1d5be7aa94608c04516cac4238e8c22b93c1d9
- 20200108 [SECURITY] [DSA 4599-1] wordpress security update
- DSA-4599
- https://github.com/WordPress/wordpress-develop/security/advisories/GHSA-g7rg-hchx-c2gw
- DSA-4677
Sources
- CVE-2019-20043 · CVE Program
- CVE-2019-20043 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-ppxh-5qq2-77g8 · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2019-20043 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences