CVE-2026-77788
Deferred Deferred - Pending Action

Rank Math SEO Plugin Metadata Privilege Escalation

Publication date: 2026-09-02

Last updated on: 2026-09-02

Assigner: WPScan

Description
The Rank Math SEO WordPress plugin before 1.0.277 does not verify that the metadata row being updated belongs to the object the user was authorised against, allowing users with the Author role and above to overwrite arbitrary post and user metadata, including that belonging to higher-privileged users.

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Meta Information

Published
2026-09-02
Last Modified
2026-09-02
Generated
2026-09-10
AI Q&A
2026-09-02
EPSS Evaluated
2026-09-09
NVD
CVE-2026-77788
EUVD
EUVD-2026-69842

Affected Vendors & Products

Showing 1 associated CPE
Vendor Product Version / Range
rank_math seo to 1.0.277 (exc)

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE
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KEV
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CWE ID Description
CWE-639 The system's authorization functionality does not prevent one user from gaining access to another user's data or record by modifying the key value identifying the data.

Attack-Flow Graph

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Executive Summary

This vulnerability is an Insecure Direct Object Reference (IDOR) in the Rank Math SEO WordPress plugin before version 1.0.277. It allows users with the Author role or higher to overwrite arbitrary post and user metadata, including that of higher-privileged users, due to insufficient verification of metadata ownership.

Detection Guidance

Check the installed version of the Rank Math SEO plugin in WordPress. If it is below 1.0.277, the system is vulnerable. Use commands like 'wp plugin list' in WordPress CLI or inspect the plugin files directly.

Impact Analysis

An attacker with Author-level access or higher could modify metadata for posts or users, potentially altering content, SEO settings, or user roles. This could lead to unauthorized changes, data corruption, or privilege escalation if higher-privileged user metadata is targeted.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability could lead to unauthorized data modifications, potentially violating integrity requirements in GDPR and HIPAA. If user or post metadata containing sensitive data is altered, it may result in non-compliance with data integrity and access control provisions.

Mitigation Strategies

Update the Rank Math SEO plugin to version 1.0.277 or later immediately. Restrict Author role permissions if possible until the update is applied.

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