WordPress Core <= 7.1 - Authenticated (Contributor+) Information Exposure via Sample Permalink AJAX Actions

2026-09-17 00:00

Strategic Overview

Status: Patched in 6.6.8
Affected Core: WordPress 7.1
Affected Version: 6.6.7 – 7.1 · 6 branches
CVSS: 4.3Medium
Weakness type: CWE-200 · Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor
CVE: CVE pending

At a glance

This record tracks a medium-severity Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor vulnerability in the WordPress 7.1 WordPress release line, affecting 6.6.7 – 7.1 · 6 branches. It carries a CVSS score of 4.3 (reachable over the network; low attack complexity). Exploitation requires an authenticated account at Contributor level or above. The issue is fixed in version 6.6.8; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed September 2026, reported by hermanhms.

Vulnerability Overview

WordPress Core is vulnerable to Information Exposure via the wp_ajax_sample_permalink() and wp_ajax_get_permalink() AJAX actions in various versions up to, and including, 7.1 due to a missing edit_post capability check on the supplied post ID. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers with Contributor-level access and above to disclose the slug and sample permalink of draft or pending posts authored by other users.

Technical Analysis

The vector marks this flaw as remotely reachable over the network, with low attack complexity — no special timing or configuration is needed, and no interaction from a victim user.

CWE-200: Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor

WordPress 7.1 6.6.7 – 7.1 · 6 branches carries this weakness at wp_ajax_sample_permalink(), and reaching it takes an account at Contributor level or above. Sensitive information exposure means data the application intended to keep internal is returned to a caller who should not be able to see it.

The disclosed data — credentials, tokens, customer records or internal paths — is usually worth more as material for a follow-up attack than as an end in itself. For WordPress 7.1 the fix is 6.6.8: builds 6.6.7 – 7.1 · 6 branches are affected, anything from 6.6.8 onward is not.

Remediation

Update to one of the following versions, or a newer patched version: 6.6.8, 6.7.8, 6.8.9, 6.9.8, 7.0.5, 7.1.1

How does WordSec protect against this?

The fix is the thing that ends this: updating to 6.6.8 is the step that ends it.

Alerts

External References

https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/83597e50-1992-4171-b24e-b14f55be6e4c

Related records

Same weakness class

Other vulnerabilities in WordPress 7.1

CVSS Vector

4.3

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N

Base

Attack VectorNetwork
Attack ComplexityLow
Privileges RequiredLow
User InteractionNone
ScopeUnchanged
ConfidentialityLow
IntegrityNone
AvailabilityNone

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