CVE-2019-14786

Rank Math SEO <= 1.0.27 - Authenticated Settings Reset via reset-cmb Parameter

2019-06-21 00:00

Strategic Overview

Status: Patched in 1.0.27.1
Affected Plugin: Rank Math SEO – AI SEO Tools to Dominate SEO Rankings
Affected Version: < 1.0.27.1
CVSS: 6.5Medium
Weakness type: CWE-285 · Improper Authorization
CVE: CVE-2019-14786

View all Rank Math SEO – AI SEO Tools to Dominate SEO Rankings vulnerabilities

At a glance

CVE-2019-14786 is a medium-severity Improper Authorization vulnerability in the Rank Math SEO WordPress plugin, affecting versions < 1.0.27.1. It carries a CVSS score of 6.5 (reachable over the network; low attack complexity; high integrity impact). Exploitation requires an authenticated account. The issue is fixed in version 1.0.27.1; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed June 2019.

Vulnerability Overview

The Rank Math SEO plugin 1.0.27 for WordPress allows non-admin users to reset the settings via the wp-admin/admin-post.php reset-cmb parameter.

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. A successful exploit has high impact on integrity.

CWE-285: Improper Authorization

Reaching this weakness in Rank Math SEO < 1.0.27.1 takes any authenticated account. Improper authorization means a permission check exists but does not cover the case being exercised, so a caller who is allowed to do one thing is allowed to do a neighbouring thing as well.

A lower-privileged account performs an action reserved for a higher one, which on a multi-author or membership site means an ordinary user reaching administrative behaviour. For Rank Math SEO the fix is 1.0.27.1: builds < 1.0.27.1 are affected, anything from 1.0.27.1 onward is not.

Remediation

Update to version 1.0.27.1, or a newer patched version

How does WordSec protect against this?

Because it turns on account access, WordSec's login security is the relevant layer: role-based two-factor, captcha and brute-force limits raise the cost of getting the account this needs. None of that substitutes for the fix: Rank Math SEO 1.0.27.1 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.

Login Security
Alerts

External References

https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2019-14786 https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/1be68c82-c22c-4d45-8c7f-a7aa21fe3ddf https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-14786

Related records

Other vulnerabilities in Rank Math SEO – AI SEO Tools to Dominate SEO Rankings

CVSS Vector

6.5

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

Base

Attack VectorNetwork
Attack ComplexityLow
Privileges RequiredLow
User InteractionNone
ScopeUnchanged
ConfidentialityNone
IntegrityHigh
AvailabilityNone

This record contains material that is subject to copyright

CVE Usage: MITRE hereby grants you a perpetual, worldwide, non-exclusive, no-charge, royalty-free, irrevocable copyright license to reproduce, prepare derivative works of, publicly display, publicly perform, sublicense, and distribute Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE®). Any copy you make for such purposes is authorized provided that you reproduce MITRE's copyright designation and this license in any such copy.

https://www.cve.org/Legal/TermsOfUse

Defiant hereby grants you a perpetual, worldwide, non-exclusive, no-charge, royalty-free, irrevocable copyright license to reproduce, prepare derivative works of, publicly display, publicly perform, sublicense, and distribute this software vulnerability information. Any copy of the software vulnerability information you make for such purposes is authorized provided that you include a hyperlink to this vulnerability record and reproduce Defiant's copyright designation and this license in any such copy.

https://www.wordfence.com/wordfence-intelligence-terms-and-conditions/