CVE-2019-9881

WPGraphQL <= 0.2.3 - Unauthenticated Comment Creation

2019-05-08 00:00

Strategic Overview

Status: Patched in 0.3.0
Affected Plugin: WPGraphQL
Affected Version: <= 0.2.3
CVSS: 5.3Medium
Weakness type: CWE-862 · Missing Authorization
CVE: CVE-2019-9881

At a glance

CVE-2019-9881 is a medium-severity Missing Authorization vulnerability in the WPGraphQL WordPress plugin, affecting versions <= 0.2.3. It carries a CVSS score of 5.3 (reachable over the network; low attack complexity). Exploitation requires no authentication. The issue is fixed in version 0.3.0; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed May 2019, reported by Simone Quatrini.

Vulnerability Overview

The createComment mutation in WPGraphQL up to version 0.2.3 for WordPress allows unauthenticated users to post comments on any article, even when 'allow comment' is disabled.

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 privileges on the target site, and no interaction from a victim user.

CWE-862: Missing Authorization

Reaching this weakness in WPGraphQL <= 0.2.3 takes no account at all. A missing authorization check means a function is reachable by anyone who can reach the endpoint, because the code never asks whether the caller is allowed to perform the action.

Any user who can reach the endpoint gets to run an action reserved for higher-privileged roles, from reading protected data to changing settings or content. For WPGraphQL the fix is 0.3.0: builds <= 0.2.3 are affected, anything from 0.3.0 onward is not.

Remediation

Update to version 0.3.0, or a newer patched version

How does WordSec protect against this?

This one needs no account at all, which puts it outside what login hardening can reach; WordSec's login security narrows the account-level paths around it, and the firewall is what inspects the request itself. None of that substitutes for the fix: WPGraphQL 0.3.0 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.

Login Security
Alerts

External References

https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2019-9881 https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/2be9815d-56c6-4574-9b4c-75fff40a148d https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-9881

Related records

Same weakness class

4.3CVE-2026-33290: WPGraphQL <= 2.9.1 Missing AuthorizationCVE-2026-33290

Other vulnerabilities in WPGraphQL

CVSS Vector

5.3

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

Base

Attack VectorNetwork
Attack ComplexityLow
Privileges RequiredNone
User InteractionNone
ScopeUnchanged
ConfidentialityNone
IntegrityLow
AvailabilityNone

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