CVE-2025-11983
BaseFortify
Publication date: 2025-11-01
Last updated on: 2025-11-04
Assigner: Wordfence
Description
Description
CVSS Scores
EPSS Scores
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Meta Information
Affected Vendors & Products
| Vendor | Product | Version / Range |
|---|---|---|
| wordfence | wp_discourse | 2.6.0 |
| wordfence | wp_discourse | 2.5.9 |
Helpful Resources
Exploitability
| CWE ID | Description |
|---|---|
| CWE-200 | The product exposes sensitive information to an actor that is not explicitly authorized to have access to that information. |
Attack-Flow Graph
AI Powered Q&A
Can you explain this vulnerability to me?
The vulnerability in the WP Discourse plugin for WordPress (up to version 2.5.9) is an Information Exposure issue. The plugin unconditionally sends Discourse API credentials (Api-Key and Api-Username headers) to any host specified in a post's discourse_permalink custom field during comment synchronization. This means that an authenticated attacker with author-level access or higher can exfiltrate sensitive API credentials to attacker-controlled servers. These credentials could then be used to query internal services or perform further attacks. [1]
How can this vulnerability impact me? :
This vulnerability can lead to the exposure of sensitive Discourse API credentials to attackers who have author-level access or higher on the WordPress site. With these credentials, attackers can exfiltrate data, query internal services, and potentially carry out additional attacks on the Discourse forum or connected systems. This compromises the confidentiality of the API credentials and may lead to unauthorized access or manipulation of forum data. [1]
How can this vulnerability be detected on my network or system? Can you suggest some commands?
This vulnerability involves the WP Discourse plugin sending Discourse API credentials (Api-Key and Api-Username headers) to any host specified in a post's discourse_permalink custom field during comment synchronization. To detect exploitation attempts on your network or system, you can monitor outgoing HTTP requests from your WordPress server for requests containing these sensitive headers being sent to unexpected or external hosts. Specifically, you can use network monitoring tools or commands such as tcpdump or Wireshark to capture HTTP traffic and filter for requests containing 'Api-Key' or 'Api-Username' headers. For example, on the server, you might run a command like: tcpdump -i any -A -s 0 'tcp port 80 or tcp port 443' | grep -i 'Api-Key' to detect outgoing requests with the API key header. Additionally, reviewing WordPress logs or plugin debug logs for unusual synchronization activity or requests to unknown hosts specified in discourse_permalink fields can help detect this vulnerability's exploitation. [2, 3]
What immediate steps should I take to mitigate this vulnerability?
The immediate mitigation step is to update the WP Discourse plugin to version 2.6.0 or later, as this version removes the insecure legacy feature that allowed unconditional sending of Discourse API credentials to arbitrary hosts. The update improves post matching logic, sanitizes URL handling, and enforces stricter synchronization criteria, thereby preventing the exposure of API credentials. Until the update is applied, restrict author-level users' ability to add or modify the discourse_permalink custom field to prevent attackers from specifying malicious hosts. Additionally, monitor and restrict outgoing HTTP requests from your WordPress server to untrusted external hosts to limit potential exfiltration. [1]