dbcve.org
JetpackWordPress extension · Automattic

CVE-2014-0173

MEDIUM · 5.8 CVSS v2.0 Published 2014-04-22
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
67/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
The Jetpack plugin before 1.9 before 1.9.4, 2.0.x before 2.0.9, 2.1.x before 2.1.4, 2.2.x before 2.2.7, 2.3.x before 2.3.7, 2.4.x before 2.4.4, 2.5.x before 2.5.2, 2.6.x before 2.6.3, 2.7.x before 2.7.2, 2.8.x before 2.8.2, and 2.9.x before 2.9.3 for WordPress does not properly restrict access to the XML-RPC service, which allows remote attackers to bypass intended restrictions and publish posts via unspecified vectors. NOTE: some of these details are obtained from third party information.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

The Jetpack WordPress plugin contains an access control vulnerability in its XML-RPC interface. The plugin fails to properly restrict access to the XML-RPC service, allowing remote unauthenticated attackers to bypass intended security restrictions and publish posts to the WordPress site without authorization.

MitigationUpdate Jetpack plugin to version 1.9.4, 2.0.9, 2.1.4, 2.2.7, 2.3.7, 2.4.4, 2.5.2, 2.6.3, 2.7.2, 2.8.2, or 2.9.3 or later. Alternatively, if XML-RPC functionality is not required, disable the XML-RPC service entirely.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
JetpackWordPress extension
Affected:= 1.9= 1.9.1= 1.9.2= 2.0= 2.0.1= 2.0.2= 2.0.3= 2.0.4= 2.1= 2.1.1= 2.1.2= 2.2

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
M
Authentication
None
Confidentiality
Partial
Integrity
Partial
Availability
None

AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:N

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Verify Jetpack plugin installation
    Check the WordPress plugins directory (wp-content/plugins/jetpack/) or navigate to Plugins > Installed Plugins in the WordPress admin dashboard to confirm Jetpack is installed.
    Affected if Jetpack plugin is present on the WordPress site.
  2. Determine installed Jetpack version
    In WordPress admin, go to Plugins > Installed Plugins and look at the version number displayed next to Jetpack. Alternatively, check the main plugin file header in wp-content/plugins/jetpack/jetpack.php for the 'Version' tag.
    Affected if The installed version matches one of the affected versions: 1.9, 1.9.1, 1.9.2, 2.0, 2.0.1, 2.0.2, 2.0.3, 2.0.4, 2.1, 2.1.1, 2.1.2, or 2.2.
  3. Confirm XML-RPC is accessible
    Attempt to access the XML-RPC endpoint by sending a request to /xmlrpc.php on the WordPress site. A valid response (even an error) indicates XML-RPC is enabled. Use a tool like curl: curl -X POST http://your-site.com/xmlrpc.php -d '<methodCall><methodName>system.listMethods</methodName></methodCall>'
    Affected if The XML-RPC endpoint responds, indicating the service is enabled and reachable.
  4. Verify Jetpack XML-RPC functionality is active
    Check if the Jetpack module for XML-RPC is active by examining the Jetpack settings in WordPress admin (Jetpack > Dashboard > Settings) or by reviewing the jetpack/xmlrpc.php endpoint is accessible.
    Affected if Jetpack XML-RPC functionality is enabled and the jetpack/xmlrpc.php endpoint is accessible.

A site is affected if it runs Jetpack version 1.9 through 2.2 and has XML-RPC enabled, allowing unauthenticated attackers to potentially publish posts via the Jetpack XML-RPC interface.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

From vendor data
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Update Jetpack plugin to version 1.9.4, 2.0.9, 2.1.4, 2.2.7, 2.3.7, 2.4.4, 2.5.2, 2.6.3, 2.7.2, 2.8.2, or 2.9.3 or later. Alternatively, if XML-RPC functionality is not required, disable the XML-RPC service entirely.

Fix this in Jetpack Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation1.0 h
  • Implementation1.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
5.0 hours of engineering $860
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2014-0173 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data