WordPressCMS
CVE-2021-39200
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 · uneditedWordPress is a free and open-source content management system written in PHP and paired with a MySQL or MariaDB database. In affected versions output data of the function wp_die() can be leaked under certain conditions, which can include data like nonces. It can then be used to perform actions on your behalf. This has been patched in WordPress 5.8.1, along with any older affected versions via minor releases. It's strongly recommended that you keep auto-updates enabled to receive the fix.
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 confidenceWordPress wp_die() function can leak sensitive output data (including nonces) under certain conditions. This exposed data can be captured by attackers and used to perform authenticated actions on behalf of the user, leading to potential account compromise.
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
WordPressCMS
>= 5.2, < 5.8.1
Debian LinuxOperating system
= 10.0= 11.0CVSS 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
- High
- Privileges
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify WordPress versionCheck the version.php file in the WordPress root directory, or look at the meta generator tag in the HTML source of any admin page, or use wp-cli: wp core versionAffected if The installed version is >= 5.2 and < 5.8.1
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Confirm wp_die() function availabilityLocate wp-includes/functions.php and verify the wp_die() function exists and has not been overridden by a plugin or themeAffected if The wp_die() function exists in the codebase and is callable by the application
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Identify wp_die() calls that output user-controlled or sensitive dataSearch codebase for wp_die() calls that pass variables containing nonces, session tokens, or other authentication data as the message parameter. Use grep: grep -r "wp_die" --include="*.php" in the wp-content directory and any custom codeAffected if Any plugin, theme, or custom code calls wp_die() with unsanitized nonce or authentication token data as output
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Check for AJAX actions using wp_die()Review AJAX handlers in plugins/themes that may use wp_die() to return responses. Examine admin-ajax.php handlers and their wp_die() usage patternsAffected if AJAX endpoints use wp_die() to return responses containing sensitive data
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Audit custom wp_die() handlersSearch for add_filter('wp_die_handler') to see if custom die handlers are in use that may not properly sanitize outputAffected if Custom die handlers are present and may not sanitize sensitive data in responses
A user is affected if their WordPress installation version falls within 5.2 through 5.8.0 and any code on the site uses wp_die() to output sensitive data like nonces or authentication tokens.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
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.
dbcve · scoped5.8.1
Update WordPress to version 5.8.1 or later. Enable automatic updates to receive future security patches promptly.
WordPress 5.8.1 or later (or Debian package update via apt)
- 1. Backup your WordPress database and files before performing any updates
- 2. For self-hosted WordPress: navigate to Dashboard > Updates and click 'Update Now' to upgrade to WordPress 5.8.1 or later
- 3. Alternatively, manually download WordPress 5.8.1 or later from wordpress.org and replace core files
- 4. For Debian systems: run 'apt update && apt upgrade' to install the patched wordpress package
- 5. After updating, verify the wp_die() function no longer leaks sensitive data in error responses
- 6. Clear any caching plugins and server-side caches to ensure the fix is fully applied
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
Fix this in WordPress
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,512.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2021-39200 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2021-39200 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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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.
- 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